SC-12 Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management
System and Communications Protection
Description
Establish and manage cryptographic keys when cryptography is employed within the system in accordance with the following key management requirements: [Assignment: organization-defined requirements for key generation, distribution, storage, access, and destruction].
Supplemental Guidance
Cryptographic key management and establishment can be performed using manual procedures or automated mechanisms with supporting manual procedures. Organizations define key management requirements in accordance with applicable laws, executive orders, directives, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines and specify appropriate options, parameters, and levels. Organizations manage trust stores to ensure that only approved trust anchors are part of such trust stores. This includes certificates with visibility external to organizational systems and certificates related to the internal operations of systems. [NIST CMVP] and [NIST CAVP] provide additional information on validated cryptographic modules and algorithms that can be used in cryptographic key management and establishment.
Enhancements (4)
What NIST adds to this control. Select one to read its statement.
SC-12(01) Availability High
Maintain availability of information in the event of the loss of cryptographic keys by users.
SC-12(02) Symmetric Keys
Produce, control, and distribute symmetric cryptographic keys using [Selection (one): NIST FIPS-validated; NSA-approved] key management technology and processes.
SC-12(03) Asymmetric Keys
Produce, control, and distribute asymmetric cryptographic keys using [Selection (one): NSA-approved key management technology and processes; prepositioned keying material; DoD-approved or DoD-issued Medium Assurance PKI certificates; DoD-approved or DoD-issued Medium Hardware Assurance PKI certificates and hardware security tokens that protect the user’s private key; certificates issued in accordance with organization-defined requirements].
SC-12(06) Physical Control of Keys
Maintain physical control of cryptographic keys when stored information is encrypted by external service providers.
Patterns that use this control (19)
Grouped by the emphasis each pattern gives it.
Critical (10)
- SP-026 PCI Full Environment
- SP-032 Modern Authentication
- SP-033 Passkey Authentication
- SP-039 Client-Side Encryption and Data Privacy
- SP-040 Post-Quantum Cryptography and Quantum Readiness
- SP-050 Mobile Security Architecture (draft)
- SP-051 Tokenised Asset Security Architecture (draft)
- SP-052 Decentralised Identity & Verifiable Credentials (draft)
- SP-053 Zero-Knowledge Proof Architecture (draft)
- SP-054 CBDC and Digital Currency Infrastructure (draft)
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (10)
ATT&CK v16.1Techniques mitigated by this control, mapped via CTID.