BYOK
BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) is a cloud model in which the customer supplies and controls the encryption keys protecting their data, instead of relying on keys generated and held by the provider.
What is BYOK?
Definition
BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) is a cloud model in which the customer generates and controls the encryption keys protecting their data, rather than relying on keys the provider creates and holds. The point is separation of duties: the provider stores the ciphertext, while the customer decides who may decrypt it and can revoke that ability. In cybersecurity terms it matters wherever a contract or a regulator requires proof that the provider alone cannot read the data — and it is worth distinguishing from provider-managed keys, which offer a materially weaker guarantee.
Role in cybersecurity
BYOK plays an important role in building organizational resilience against cyber threats. Implementing appropriate mechanisms in this area is required by regulations such as NIS2, DORA and ISO 27001.