Page 36 - Cyber Defense eMagazine August 2023

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How BYOK Works

BYOK is a data security method that allows organizations to bring their own encryption keys to a cloud
environment, providing some level of control and management of them. This helps address concerns
around key visibility and ownership, preventing infrastructure providers like cloud service providers
(CSPs) from accessing those keys unencrypted.

It must be noted that organizations store and safeguard such BYOK keys in the cloud environment, which
limits the control provided by a BYOK environment. However, the cloud service providers incorporate
their BYOK capabilities with a traditional hardware security module (HSM) - so that they are protected
from unauthorized access.

Benefits of BYOK

Data is a crucial element for companies in the current business environment. As a company's most
important non-human asset, additional safeguarding measures such as BYOK can be beneficial. Let's
examine some of the business advantages that BYOK can offer.

BYOK can enhance data security as part of a comprehensive security program. It enables organizations
to utilize data as needed, including cloud data analytics and internal sharing, while preserving the highest
security standards. BYOK can be a potential control mechanism for compliance regulations such as
GDPR, which mandate advanced data protection practices, including "the right to be forgotten".

BYOK offers enhanced data control for organizations. Previously, cloud-stored data was encrypted with
keys owned by CSPs, leaving companies without control over their own data. This is especially
concerning for highly regulated industries like finance and healthcare. With BYOK, organizations can
manage their own keys and regain control over their data.

BYOK offers increased flexibility for organizations operating across multiple geographies as it enables
the use of the same keys to safeguard data regardless of the cloud service provider. Additionally, it allows
for customization of key management systems to meet specific security requirements.

Organizations assume data breaches will happen, but BYOK can minimize the impact of such breaches.
As the root keys are controlled by the customer, data that are protected through BYOK makes it
unreadable and useless to inside attacks (within the CSP) and external hackers alike. BYOK can also
prevent potential compliance fines and lost business that a breach can create. It serves as an indirect
cost-savings method.

Potential challenges associated with BYOK

When implementing any technology, including BYOK, organizations should be aware of potential
drawbacks and have a plan in place to address them.

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