GRCLibrary.ai

Procedure

Key Escrow and Recovery Procedure

This procedure governs key escrow and key recovery operations within the organization. It distinguishes recovery of productivity-data keys (where business continuity favours recovery) from recovery of cryptographic root and signing keys (where recovery is governed by stricter ceremony and dual control). It defines the escrow architecture, the authority model, the recovery triggers, the ceremony, and the auditable evidence retained.

Type
Procedure
Version
1.4.0
Date
2026-10-23
Owner
Chief Information Security Officer
Approving authority
Governance Library Maintainer
Classification
Public
Confidentiality
Public
Category
Information Security
Review frequency
Annual and upon material change to escrow architecture, cryptographic standards, or jurisdictional rules
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

Read the full text on GitHub (opens in a new tab)

Outline

  • Purpose
  • Scope
  • Section 1: key categories
  • Section 2: escrow architecture
  • Section 3: recovery triggers
  • Section 4: dual control and separation of duties
  • Section 5: recovery ceremony (Category 3)
  • Section 6: authorization flow
  • Section 7: post-recovery actions
  • Section 8: lost or compromised key handling
  • Section 9: post-quantum considerations
  • Section 10: audit and assurance
  • Operating expectations
  • Framework alignment
  • Limitations

Frameworks it maps to

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