Key Life-Cycle States and Their Purpose

• Active: Only one active key per cryptographic specification is allowed. Active keys are fully usable for cryptographic operations like encryption and signing.
• Compromised: Multiple keys can be compromised. These keys cannot create new cryptographic content but can be used for decrypting or verifying existing data. Keys move here from active or suspended states.
• Deactivated: Several keys can be deactivated, usually after rotation. Deactivated keys cannot generate new content but remain usable for decrypting or verification. Compromised and revoked keys are treated as deactivated.
• Destroyed: Deactivated keys can be permanently destroyed, removing all key material. This action is irreversible and will prevent access to any associated data, so it requires caution.
• Generated: Multiple generated keys can exist. The first generated key becomes active if no active key exists. Generating a new key also activates it, even if other generated keys exist.
• Renewed: Active keys with expiration dates can be renewed multiple times to extend their validity period by recalculating the expiration date based on the original life span.
• Resume: Suspended keys can be resumed to active status if no other active key exists for the specification.
• Revoked: Active or suspended keys can be revoked. Revoked keys function similarly to compromised keys—they cannot create new content but support existing content verification or decryption.
• Rotated: Rotation involves deactivating the current active key and activating another key, either a newly generated one or an imported key.
• Suspended: Multiple keys can be suspended. Suspended keys can be resumed back to active if no active key exists for the specification.

Practical Importance for ServiceNow Customers

By leveraging these defined key life-cycle states, ServiceNow customers can:

• Maintain strict control over key usage and transitions to uphold security and compliance.
• Ensure only appropriate keys are active for cryptographic operations, minimizing risk exposure.
• Manage key rotations, renewals, and revocations systematically to support operational continuity.
• Safely destroy keys when no longer needed, understanding the impact on data accessibility.
• Use the framework’s lifecycle automation to streamline key state transitions according to organization policies.

Understanding and applying these states enables customers to effectively manage cryptographic keys across their lifecycle within the ServiceNow platform, enhancing security posture and regulatory adherence.