Which of the following is true about key encrypting keys (KEKs) in relation to data keys?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true about key encrypting keys (KEKs) in relation to data keys?

Explanation:
In key management, a key encrypting key (KEK) protects the data keys (DEKs) that actually encrypt sensitive data. The best practice is that the KEK be at least as strong as the data keys it protects and stored separately from them. This matters because if the KEK were weaker or stored together with the DEKs, a single breach could expose both layers and reveal the data. The KEK’s role is to encrypt the data keys (which in turn encrypt the data), so ensuring the KEK’s strength and keeping it separate are the protections that matter most.

In key management, a key encrypting key (KEK) protects the data keys (DEKs) that actually encrypt sensitive data. The best practice is that the KEK be at least as strong as the data keys it protects and stored separately from them. This matters because if the KEK were weaker or stored together with the DEKs, a single breach could expose both layers and reveal the data. The KEK’s role is to encrypt the data keys (which in turn encrypt the data), so ensuring the KEK’s strength and keeping it separate are the protections that matter most.

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