How to Design Enterprise Key Management Policy
An organization requires a Enterprise Key Management (EKM) Policy for a multitude of critical reasons. First and foremost, a unified policy is essential as it is inclusive of all geographical regulations and requirements where the business has its operations. This ensures that the organization remains compliant across different regions, avoiding legal and operational pitfalls.
Enterprise Key Management (EKM) Policy provides a clear and concise roadmap, ensuring that every member, from executives to entry-level employees, understands the strategic direction and security protocols. This alignment is pivotal in maintaining organizational integrity.
Enterprise Key Management is a foundational element that supports an organization’s secure operations, compliance, and unified approach towards managing cryptographic keys and data security.
Here are top 3 priorities to consider for designing a Enterprise Key Management Policy:
1. Access Control to Cryptographic Keys:
Define who has access to cryptographic keys and how they are utilized.
Identify authorized personnel for key creation, access, and usage in sensitive operations.
Specify user permissions for viewing and managing keys to maintain control and prevent unauthorized access.
For example, in a financial institution, only designated security administrators have access to create and manage cryptographic keys to encrypt sensitive customer data stored in databases.
Regular employees, such as customer service representatives, have restricted access to view or modify data but do not have access to cryptographic keys.
2. Usage of Cryptographic Keys:
Ensure cryptographic keys are used solely for authorized purposes and are not shared inadvertently or accessed by unauthorized individuals.
Implement robust security measures such as passwords or PINs to safeguard cryptographic keys from unauthorized access or misuse. For instance, access to keys may require multifactor authentication to enhance security.
Example: A software development company employs cryptographic keys to sign code updates before deployment to ensure their authenticity and integrity.
Access to the private signing key is restricted to a small group of trusted developers, and strong authentication mechanisms, such as hardware tokens or biometric authentication, are enforced to prevent unauthorized access.
3. Retention Period of Cryptographic Keys:
Determine the duration for which cryptographic keys will be retained before they are retired or destroyed. It prevents unauthorized access or recovery of keys in case of theft or compromise.
Implement secure key lifecycle management practices to maintain confidentiality and integrity. Regularly update and rotate keys, and securely store and dispose of them when they end their lifecycle.
Example: A government agency establishes a policy where cryptographic keys for secure communication channels are rotated every six months.
After the keys expire, they are securely archived and then destroyed following strict protocols to prevent unauthorized access or recovery. This ensures that even if a key is compromised, its usefulness is limited due to its short lifecycle.
Additional Consideration:
Shared Responsibility in Cloud Security
In a cloud environment, responsibility for security is often shared between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the customer. While the CSP ensures the security of the underlying infrastructure and platform, the customer is responsible for securing their data and access controls, including cryptographic key management.
When an organization utilizes a cloud-based encryption service provided by a CSP to protect sensitive customer data stored in its cloud databases, the CSP manages the underlying infrastructure and encryption mechanisms.
However, the organization’s security administrators determine who has access to manage these keys, ensuring that only authorized personnel can create, view, or modify them.
Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) or Bring Your Own Key Management System (BYOKMS) is a strategy where organizations can retain control over their encryption keys instead of relying solely on the cloud service provider (CSP).
With BYOK/BYOKMS, organizations generate and manage their encryption keys, which are then securely stored and used within the cloud environment.
This approach helps organizations maintain sovereignty over their cryptographic keys. It also provides greater flexibility and interoperability between cloud providers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the varying sensitivity levels within the protected data must be recognized. For instance, while files containing sensitive customer information may necessitate stringent encryption measures, log in details for a website might require a different approach.
Secondly, determine the appropriate level of protection for data, whether it’s encrypting data at rest or during transit, depending on the specific security requirements.
Lastly, decide where to store the keys and associated data, whether in an on-premises secure location or within a cloud-based service, each with its unique considerations for security and accessibility.
By addressing these considerations thoughtfully, organizations can develop effective cryptographic key management policies to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
