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Why rotate keys?
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How often to rotate keys?
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How to rotate keys?
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How to monitor and audit key rotation?
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How to handle key rotation challenges?
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Here’s what else to consider
Encryption keys are essential for protecting your data from unauthorized access, but they also need to be updated regularly to prevent compromise or loss. A key rotation policy and schedule is a set of rules and procedures that define how and when you change your encryption keys, and how you manage the old and new keys. In this article, you will learn how to implement a secure key rotation policy and schedule for your encryption needs.
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- 💻Dan Draper CEO and Founder at CipherStash
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- Andreas Neubacher Software Architect and jack-of-all-trades in SW Engineering
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- Hanna Haponenko Senior Systems Engineer
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1 Why rotate keys?
Key rotation is a good practice for several reasons. First, it reduces the risk of key exposure or theft, as you limit the time window that a key is valid and usable. Second, it increases the security of your data, as you prevent attackers from decrypting old data with a compromised key. Third, it complies with regulatory and industry standards, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, or GDPR, that require periodic key changes.
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- Andreas Neubacher Software Architect and jack-of-all-trades in SW Engineering
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You *must* be able to rotate keys if you suspect a breach.Rotating regularly is an effective way of testing that ad-hoc rotation due to a security incident will succeed.
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- 💻Dan Draper CEO and Founder at CipherStash
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Key rotation is simply the generation of a new key to replace an old one. There are 2 main reasons it is important.Firstly, if a key is stolen or compromised, any data encrypted with that key will need to be re-encrypted with a new key. Doing this quickly is important because data is at risk until the rotation is complete. Limiting key scope (i.e. how much data a given key encrypts) reduces re-encryption time and limits the amount of data at risk.The second reason is key "wear out". A 128-bit AES key can only be safely used to encrypt around 2^32 messages before it must be changed. That's actually only 64GB!Rotating keys often to ensure limited key scope and to mitigate key wear-out is a critical component of a key governance system.
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2 How often to rotate keys?
The frequency of key rotation varies based on several factors, such as the type of encryption, the sensitivity of the data, the threat level, and the operational costs. Generally speaking, symmetric keys (like AES or DES) should be rotated every 90 days or less, or after encrypting a certain amount of data (like 1 TB). Asymmetric keys (such as RSA or ECC) should be rotated annually or less, or after signing a certain number of messages (like 10,000). Master keys (such as KMS or HSM keys) should be rotated every two years or less, or after generating a certain number of subkeys (like 100). However, it is important to rotate keys more frequently if there is suspicion of a breach, if you are changing your encryption algorithm, or if you have high-risk data.
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- 💻Dan Draper CEO and Founder at CipherStash
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How often a symmetric key is rotated is primarily a factor of how much data it is used to encrypt. If keys are used heavily then more frequent rotation is prudent.AES-GCM, the most common mode of operation for AES uses tags (conceptually similar to HMAC) to provide message authenticity. After 2^64 messages there is a 1 in 2 chance that there will be a tag collision (which would break authenticity). After 2^32 messages (or 64GB) there is only a 1 in 4 billion chance, with the probability halving every time the message count doubles.This is particularly important for short (32-bit tags). In this case, NIST recommends only encrypting 2^22 (~4m) 32-byte messages with a single key. For 64-bit tags the limit is around 4-billion messages.
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- Hanna Haponenko Senior Systems Engineer
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Where is the number 10,000 coming from? Is there a reference to back this claim up? It must change for different industries, especially when considering the (im)practicality of rotating so frequently?
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3 How to rotate keys?
The process of key rotation involves four steps: generating new keys, distributing new keys, switching to new keys, and retiring old keys. Each step must be properly planned and executed to prevent data loss or corruption. When generating new keys, use a secure random number generator (RNG) and store them in a secure location such as a KMS or HSM. Do not reuse old keys or derive new keys from them. When distributing new keys, use a secure channel like TLS or VPN and verify the identity and integrity of the recipients. Do not send new keys via plain text or email. To switch to new keys, use a coordinated and synchronized approach and test the encryption and decryption functionality before and after the switch. Do not switch to new keys during peak hours or without backup. Finally, to retire old keys, use a secure method like shredding or overwriting and revoke their access and permissions. Do not keep old keys indefinitely or reuse them for other purposes.
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4 How to monitor and audit key rotation?
Key rotation is not a one-time event, but a continuous activity that requires monitoring and auditing. You need to track and record the key lifecycle events, such as creation, distribution, usage, and deletion, and review them regularly for anomalies or errors. You also need to measure and report the key rotation performance, such as the frequency, duration, and success rate, and compare them with your policy and goals. You can use tools and services (such as CloudTrail or Key Vault) to automate and simplify the monitoring and auditing tasks.
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5 How to handle key rotation challenges?
Key rotation can be difficult due to complexity, compatibility, and cost. To balance the security benefits with the operational impacts and risks, use a centralized and automated system (such as KMS or HSM) to manage your keys, and standard and consistent formats and protocols (such as JSON or KMIP) to exchange them. Additionally, use backward and forward compatible encryption schemes (such as envelope encryption or versioned encryption) to ensure that you can decrypt old data with new keys. Furthermore, employ a risk-based and data-driven approach to determine the optimal key rotation frequency and scope. Lastly, use scalable and efficient encryption methods (such as streaming encryption or compression) to reduce the encryption overhead.
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6 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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