Encryption key management systems are now essential for all companies needing to lockdown data in the cloud, says Matt Landrock, CEO, Cryptomathic Inc.

Cryptography is the foundation of protecting electronic data and cyber security. Encryption can effectively prevent breaches while also protecting both consumer privacy and sensitive data.

Conversations about cryptography are common place in the cyber-security world.  One can find security professionals discussing everything from PKI to issues with RSA. 

This article explains some of the cryptographic key management tasks involved in demonstrating and proving compliance to acceptable standards, and how this process can be simplified by centralization, automation, and adequate preparation.

The Key Management Interoperability Protocol standard intends to provide interoperability across various key management environments and hence to reduce costs and increase efficiency of heterogenious cryptographic applications.

Key management refers to managing cryptographic keys within a cryptosystem. It deals with generating, exchanging, storing, using and replacing keys as needed at the user level.

With the ever increasing number of online services and electronic transactions, business owners are becoming ever more dependent on the use cryptography to prevent sensitive information from cyber attackers.

A Key Management System (KMS) must be designed in a manner that supports the goals of each organization using the KMS. The aim of a security policy is to provide a secure working environment for the organization by establishing required security measures, protocols and controls. 

A cryptographic zone exists between two points, where a symmetric key or asymmetric public keys are shared in order to encrypt sensitive information. Once the key, or keys have been exchanged, data, and in some cases other keys, are encrypted within this zone.