Key Management Lifecycle Best Practices: 3 Considerations to Be Aware Of

Written by the CSA Cloud Key Management Working Group.

To implement key management solutions (KMS), it is important to understand the threats and risks facing your organization, as well as its regulatory and compliance needs. With increasing data use and storage risks, organizations must take measures to ensure sensitive information is kept safe from malicious agents. As such, most data security regulations require encryption key management as part of their compliance.

Here are three areas to consider when planning for your key management solutions:

1. Technical Considerations

Before planning for a key management lifecycle solution, it is essential to understand that many cryptographic algorithms require unique keys that must be kept secret from unauthorized users. To develop a reliable key management system and understand the technical properties of cryptography and key management, consider the following:

• Use a high-quality random number generator to generate keys to prevent predictability.
• Assess encryption algorithms and key size to choose the most secure combination.
• Store keys securely using hardware security modules, smart cards, or trusted platform modules.
• Renew keys periodically and decommission old keys.
• Utilize multiple regions and availability zones for improved disaster recovery.
• Design a strategy considering the purpose of keys and consumer capabilities.
• Implement robust key backup and recovery mechanisms.
• Label keys for identification and inventory management.
• Ensure secure transport mechanisms like TLS for accessing the KMS.
• Enforce granular IAM access control and least privilege access in the KMS.
• Implement network access control mechanisms to limit access to the KMS and keys.
• Integrate the KMS with other necessary systems such as asset management.
• Enable logging, monitoring, and reporting in the KMS for security and usage audits.

2. Operational Considerations

When managing keys on-premises, prioritize physical security such as locked server rooms, surveillance systems, and access controls to authorized personnel only.

Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) provide added protection for cryptographic keys, enhancing their security. Secure communication channels like TLS or IPsec are essential for secure data transfers. Access controls, including authentication, strong passwords, and auditing, ensure only authorized users manage keys.

Cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer key management services. However, maintaining key isolation is crucial when using multiple clouds to prevent unauthorized access. Interoperability and portability enable seamless key transfer between different cloud platforms, enhancing security.

Regardless of the environment, organizations need a comprehensive key incident response plan. This plan includes identifying, containing, and assessing the impact; recovering or revoking compromised keys; and restoring operations. It minimizes the impact of key-related incidents and protects sensitive data effectively.

3. Financial Considerations

It’s important to pay attention to the many add-on costs that organizations could incur. When planning for a key management lifecycle solution, whether for on-premises or multi-cloud environments, there are several financial considerations to take into account:

• Initial setup costs
• Operating expenses
• Scalability costs
• Vendor lock-in
• Data transfer costs
• Compliance and regulatory costs
• Disaster recovery and redundancy
• Training and skill development

It is also important to be aware of:

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Analysis: Compare the long-term costs of on-premises and multi-cloud key management solutions, factoring in all relevant financial considerations.
• Economic Models: Evaluate different economic models depending on the chosen key management solution and deployment model.
• ROI and Business Value: Assess the ROI and business value derived from the key management solution to determine if it aligns with the organization’s strategic goals.

Conclusion

Key management system deployment and management requires careful planning, precise execution, and ongoing vigilance. Being aware of these three considerations will empower your organization to safeguard its data effectively against security threats. In this document, dive deeper into the topics covered in this blog post, and explore additional best practices to enhance your understanding of implementing key management solutions.