9.5.4 Compromise Recovery

Before · SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 4

After · SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5

Compromise Recovery

Before · SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 4

After · SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5

When a secret or private key that is used to protect sensitive information or critical processes is disclosed to unauthorized entities, all of the information and/or processes protected by that key become immediately subject to disclosure, modification, subversion, and/or denial of service. All compromised keys shall be revoked; all affected keys shall be replaced, if needed; and, where sensitive or critical information or processes are affected, an immediate damage assessment should be conducted. Measures necessary to mitigate the consequences of a suspected unauthorized access to protected data or processes and to reduce the probability or frequency of future compromises should be undertaken. Where secret (symmetric) keys or private (asymmetric) keys are used to protect only a single entity’s local information or communications between a single pair of entities, the compromise recovery process can be relatively simple and inexpensive. Damage assessment and mitigation measures are often local matters. On the other hand, when a key is shared by or affects a large number of entities, damage can be widespread, and recovery is both complex and expensive. Some examples of keys, the compromise of which might be particularly difficult or expensive to recover from, include the following: