Recommendation for Key Management - Part 1: General (Revision 3)

This Recommendation provides cryptographic key management guidance in three parts. Part 1 of the Recommendation 1) defines the security services that may be provided and key types that may be employed in using cryptographic mechanisms; 2) provides background information regarding the cryptographic algorithms that use cryptographic keying material; 3) classifies the different types of keys and other cryptographic information according to their functions, specifies the protection that each type of information requires and identifies methods for providing this protection; 4) identifies the states in which a cryptographic key may exist during its lifetime; 5)identifies the multitude of functions involved in key management; and 6) discusses a variety of key management issues related to the keying material.