Which term describes the processes for key creation, storage, rotation, and destruction?

• A. Cryptography
• B. Cryptographic Key Management
• C. Data-Flow Diagram
• D. CVSS

Answer: (B)

The processes for key creation, storage, rotation, and destruction are described by cryptographic key management. This area specifically addresses the lifecycle of cryptographic keys and how they are handled securely from birth to retirement. Secure key generation uses strong randomness and appropriate algorithms; secure storage protects keys from unauthorized access (often using hardware security modules or encrypted, access-controlled storage); regular rotation and timely revocation reduce the risk if a key is compromised; and proper destruction ensures that former keys cannot be recovered and used to access past data. Together, these practices maintain the overall strength of cryptographic systems and data confidentiality.

Cryptography, by contrast, is the broader field concerned with how algorithms perform encryption and decryption, not the ongoing management of the keys themselves. A data-flow diagram maps how data moves through a system, not how keys are created, stored, rotated, or destroyed. CVSS is a framework for scoring the severity of vulnerabilities, unrelated to the lifecycle of cryptographic keys.