Information about Key Management
In cryptography, key management includes all of the provisions made in a cryptosystem design, in cryptographic protocols in that design, in user procedures, and so on, which are related to generation, exchange, storage, safeguarding, use, vetting, and replacement of keys. There is a distinction between key management, which concerns keys at the users' level (i.e., passed between systems or users or both), and key scheduling which is usually taken to apply to the handling of key material within the operation of a cipher.
Appropriate and successful key management is critical to the secure use of every crypto system without exception. It is, in actual practice, the most difficult aspect of cryptography generally, for it involves system policy, user training, organizational and departmental interactions in many cases, coordination between end users, etc.
Many of these concerns are not limited to cryptographic engineering and so are outside a strictly cryptographic brief, though of critical importance. As a result, some aspects of key management fall between two stools as the cryptographers may assume this or that aspect is the responsibility of the using department or upper management or some such, while said department or upper management regard it all as being outside their concerns because 'technical', and so within the purview of the cryptographers.
Appropriate and successful key management is critical to the secure use of every crypto system without exception. It is, in actual practice, the most difficult aspect of cryptography generally, for it involves system policy, user training, organizational and departmental interactions in many cases, coordination between end users, etc.
Many of these concerns are not limited to cryptographic engineering and so are outside a strictly cryptographic brief, though of critical importance. As a result, some aspects of key management fall between two stools as the cryptographers may assume this or that aspect is the responsibility of the using department or upper management or some such, while said department or upper management regard it all as being outside their concerns because 'technical', and so within the purview of the cryptographers.
See also
- NSA's Electronic Key Management System (EKMS)
- Cryptographic key types
- Assorted list of cryptographic key types
External links
- Recommendation for Key Management — Part 1: general, NIST Special Publication 800-57
- NIST Cryptographic Toolkit
Cryptography (or cryptology; derived from Greek κρυπτός kryptós "hidden," and the verb γράφω gráfo "write" or λεγειν legein
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
There are two different meanings of the word cryptosystem. One is used by the cryptographic community, while the other is the meaning understood by the public.
..... Click the link for more information.
General meaning
In this meaning, the term cryptosystem is used as shorthand for "cryptographic system"...... Click the link for more information.
A security protocol (cryptographic protocol or encryption protocol) is an abstract or concrete protocol that performs a security-related function and applies cryptographic methods.
A protocol describes how the algorithms should be used.
..... Click the link for more information.
A protocol describes how the algorithms should be used.
..... Click the link for more information.
key is a piece of information (a parameter) that controls the operation of a cryptographic algorithm. In encryption, a key specifies the particular transformation of plaintext into ciphertext, or vice versa during decryption.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
key schedule is an algorithm that, given the key, calculates the subkeys for these rounds.
..... Click the link for more information.
Some types of key schedules
- Some ciphers have simple key schedules.
..... Click the link for more information.
Cryptography (or cryptology; derived from Greek κρυπτός kryptós "hidden," and the verb γράφω gráfo "write" or λεγειν legein
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Cryptographic engineering is the discipline of using cryptography to solve human problems. Cryptography is typically applied when trying to ensure data confidentiality, to authenticate people or devices, or to verify data integrity in risky environments.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is the United States government's cryptologic organization that was officially established on November 4, 1952. Responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications, it coordinates, directs, and performs
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Electronic Key Management System (EKMS) system is a United States National Security Agency led program responsible for Communications Security (COMSEC) key management, accounting and distribution.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
One of the most important aspects of any cryptographic system is key management. Unfortunately, it is also the aspect which is most often neglected. A very common mistake is mixing different key types and reusing the same key for different purposes.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
40-bit key - key with a length of 40 bits, once the upper limit of what could be exported from the U.S. and other countries without a license. Considered very insecure. See key size for a discussion of this and other lengths.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus
