What is the difference between BYOK and traditional key management methods?

BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) and traditional key management methods differ primarily in control and ownership of encryption keys.

In traditional key management, the cloud provider generates, stores, and manages encryption keys on behalf of the customer. The customer has limited visibility and control over these keys, relying entirely on the provider's security measures.

With BYOK, the customer generates and manages their own encryption keys, typically using their own hardware security modules (HSMs) or key management systems. The customer then "brings" these keys to the cloud provider's environment, maintaining full control over key usage, rotation, and revocation. This enhances security and compliance, as sensitive data remains protected even if the cloud provider's systems are compromised.

Example:

• Traditional: A company stores encrypted data in the cloud, and the cloud provider manages the encryption keys. The company cannot independently audit or revoke key access.
• BYOK: The same company generates its own keys using an on-premises HSM, uploads them to the cloud, and decides when to encrypt or decrypt data. If the company suspects a breach, it can immediately revoke key access without relying on the provider.

For cloud-based BYOK solutions, Tencent Cloud offers Key Management Service (KMS) with BYOK capabilities, allowing customers to import and manage their own keys securely while leveraging Tencent Cloud's infrastructure.