As companies shift to digital and cloud-based systems, managing encryption keys across hybrid environments has become a real challenge.
That said, CipherTrust Manager steps in here with a centralized key management platform, or KMaaS, enabling seamless data encryption across different applications and platforms.
This article gives a basic look at some of CipherTrust Manager’s main capabilities. It will explore how the system lets organizations encrypt files safely, no matter where they are stored. Image source
Features of a CipherTrust Manager
Here are some of the standout features of CipherTrust Manager for simplifying encryption and key management:
1. Centralized Key Management
One of the major capabilities of CipherTrust Manager involves central key management for various applications and use cases from one console.
As encryption proliferates across databases, file systems, communication channels, and beyond, effective and error-free key distribution and tracking is no longer feasible manually across heterogeneous systems. CipherTrust Manager puts in place a central key repository that can be used to generate, maintain, and audit the complete life cycle of the keys from a central location.
If keys need to be generated for a new application or service, they can be programmatically generated in CipherTrust Manager as asymmetric or symmetric cryptographic keys based on configurable policies. Administrators can also import existing keys from another system if necessary.
Once the keys have been generated or uploaded, CipherTrust Manager keeps them in a secure key store and handles all access control and security around them.
2. Policy Controls and Access Management
Another useful tool in CipherTrust Manager is detailed control over who can access keys and policy-based key management.
Managers can set clear permissions that say which users, apps, and jobs are allowed to deal with specific vital types or groups. The security based on roles ensures that only approved users or programs can obtain private keys for encrypting or decrypting files.
The system also lets admins make and assign encryption rules to various keys. These rules can govern how strong encryption is, how long keys should be used when keys need updates, who can access them, and other aspects.
3. Encryption CipherTrust Services
Beyond fundamental management primitives, CipherTrust Manager includes a full suite of encryption services that can integrate with applications and workloads.
Some examples include:
- Database encryption APIs – To securely encrypt and access fields in databases like Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2 and more directly from the database application layer.
- File/object encryption – Encryption of files, documents and objects stored in file servers, cloud object stores or content repositories using server-side encryption.
- Encryption as a service – Programmatic endpoints to request on-demand encryption/decryption of arbitrary data payloads.
By consolidating encryption operations with the centralized key management platform, CipherTrust Manager ensures consistent security policies are applied without changing applications. It reduces deployment complexity and fragmentation compared to distributing crypto functions across systems.
4. CipherTrust Compliance Reporting
Current data protection laws, like GDPR and CCPA, require close tracking of secure information and privacy tools. CipherTrust Manager makes following these rules easier through detailed crypto-officer screens, recording logs, and encryption reports.
All activities for managing keys, policy changes, and cryptographic events are continuously documented. Administrators can easily create and export custom reports based on periods, showing which users/apps looked at or got which keys and files.
This high visibility and traceability streamlines audits by enforcing compliance from the start. Seeing sensitive data access and security moves helps prove that the rules are being obeyed. Key control work, changes, and cryptographic events are all carefully tracked.
Benefits of Using CiperTrust Manager
Below are some of the benefits of using CipherTrust Manager;
1. Enhanced Data Security
By establishing centralized key management and policy-driven access controls, CipherTrust Manager strengthens the security posture of encryption deployments in several ways:
- Reduced risk of unauthorized access to keys or encrypted data.
- Prevention of key leakage and exposure outside the protected environment.
- Enforced key/policy rotations according to best practices.
- Automatic key derivation and wrapping when data moves.
- Immutable audit trails of all key operations.
Overall, it reduces the attack surface and improves the protection of confidential information encrypted across the hybrid IT infrastructure.
2. Simplified Compliance
CipherTrust Manager has features that make it easier to follow different privacy laws and rules. Things like keeping each key separate, having encryption plans, tracking everything that happens, and creating detailed reports help show how security matches what groups like PCI, HIPAA and GDPR want.
Moreover, CipherTrust Manager simplifies staying allowed over time by automatically creating proof from one place. Keeping keys apart from each other, using encryption plans, closely following every event, and being able to create clear reports show that the rules are being obeyed.
3. Scalability
As more companies use encryption to protect more types of files and information, CipherTrust Manager ensures that the key control setup can easily change size, too.
The key management system expands and shrinks flexibly along with business expansion and new technology needs. As encryption covers more assets and regulation requirements change, CipherTrust Manager ensures the underlying structure for controlling keys scales smoothly.
Wrapping Up
CipherTrust Manager offers a clear central solution for controlling keys. Besides, it deals with various issues through unified essential generation based on set rules, access agreements, and complete encryption services across one joined system.
All in all, CipherTrust Manager enhances security, simplifies regulations, and streamlines work by combining various encryption uses onto a single integrated platform.
