CMMC Practice SC.L2-3.13.10 – Key Management: Establish and manage cryptographic keys for cryptography employed in organizational systems.
Links to Publicly Available Resources
This document provides assessment guidance for conducting Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) assessments for Level 2. This NIST Special Publication provides recommendations to facilitate more efficient and effective storage encryption solution design, implementation, and management for Federal departments and agencies. This NIST Special Publication is one part in a series of documents intended to provide guidance to the Federal Government for using cryptography to protect its sensitive, but unclassified digitized information during transmission and while in storage. This SANS provided policy outlines the requirements for protecting encryption keys that are under the control of end users. This video from SANS educates viewers on the positive and negative aspects of using full disk encryption for security.
Discussion [NIST SP 800-171 R2]
Cryptographic key management and establishment can be performed using manual procedures or mechanisms supported by manual procedures. Organizations define key management requirements in accordance with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, policies, directives, regulations, and standards specifying appropriate options, levels, and parameters.
NIST SP 800-56A and NIST SP 800-57-1 provide guidance on cryptographic key management and key establishment.
Further Discussion
Develop processes and technical mechanisms to protect the cryptographic keys’ confidentiality, authenticity, and authorized use in accordance with industry standards and regulations. Key management systems provide oversight, assurance, and the capability to demonstrate the cryptographic keys are created in a secure manner and protected from loss or misuse throughout their lifecycle (e.g., active, expired, revoked). For a small number of keys, this can be accomplished with manual procedures and mechanisms. As the number of keys and cryptographic units increase, automation and tool support will be required.
The first intent of this practice is to ensure cryptographic keys are properly created in a secure manner that prevents them from being reproduced by an adversary. The second intent of this practice is to ensure cryptographic keys are managed in a secure manner that prevents them from being stolen by an adversary.
Key establishment involves the creation of keys and coordination among parties that will use the keys of the methodology for generating the final keying material. This is discussed in detail in SP 800-56A, B, and C.
Key management involves protecting keys when they are distributed, when they are stored, when they are being used, and when they are being recovered.
Key establishment best practices are identified in NIST SP 800-56A, B, and C. Key management best practices are identified in NIST SP 800-57 Parts 1, 2, and 3.
This practice, SC.L2-3.13.10, complements AC.L2-3.1.19 by specifying that any cryptographic keys in use must be protected.