What is the term for any method by which cryptographic keys are transferred among users?

What is the term for any method by which cryptographic keys are transferred among users?

• A. key exchange
• B. key management
• C. key rotation
• D. key escrow

Answer: (A)

The term for any method by which cryptographic keys are transferred among users is key exchange. This covers the protocols and processes that allow parties to obtain, establish, or share a key used for encryption and decryption, even over insecure channels. For example, key exchange includes public-key approaches where one party encrypts with a recipient’s public key, or shared-secret methods like Diffie-Hellman that enable two parties to establish a common secret without sending the key itself in the clear. Key management, in contrast, is the broader lifecycle of keys—how they are generated, stored, distributed, rotated, revoked, and eventually destroyed. Key rotation specifically refers to changing keys on a schedule or after a security event. Key escrow involves a trusted third party holding a copy of a key for recovery purposes.

The term for any method by which cryptographic keys are transferred among users is key exchange. This covers the protocols and processes that allow parties to obtain, establish, or share a key used for encryption and decryption, even over insecure channels. For example, key exchange includes public-key approaches where one party encrypts with a recipient’s public key, or shared-secret methods like Diffie-Hellman that enable two parties to establish a common secret without sending the key itself in the clear.

Key management, in contrast, is the broader lifecycle of keys—how they are generated, stored, distributed, rotated, revoked, and eventually destroyed. Key rotation specifically refers to changing keys on a schedule or after a security event. Key escrow involves a trusted third party holding a copy of a key for recovery purposes.