Salesforce today made available the beta version of its Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) security, characterized by end-users’ holding onto encryption keys to their in-cloud data rather than turning them over to their cloud service provider.
That ensures, for example, that the cloud service can’t inadvertently reveal the keys through a security hole or turn them over in a government inquiry. It’s not without risk, however: end-users are solely responsible for keeping their own encrypted keys, and if they lose them, they could lose access to their data.
“BYOK offers more control, so that highly regulated industries can meet the strictest standards when it comes to encryption,” said Brian Goldfarb, senior vice president for marketing, in an interview. “It’s valuable as a tool for companies whose cloud innovation might be stalled by compliance and security concerns in industries such as health care, financial services and the public sector. It’s a complicated space, and for companies to have this option is really powerful.”
Salesforce’s BYOK feature is designed to be simple enough for citizen developers to use and to be flexible, Goldfarb said.
Despite its challenges, BYOK technology is becoming increasingly popular. Microsoft Azure offers it, as does Amazon Web Services.
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