Help Center/ Data Encryption Workshop/ User Guide (Kuala Lumpur Region)/ Key Management Service/ Rotating CMKs/ Enabling Key Rotation
Updated on 2025-12-02 GMT+08:00
View PDF
Share

Enabling Key Rotation

This section describes how to enable rotation for a key on the KMS console.

By default, automatic key rotation is disabled for a custom key. Every time you enable key rotation, KMS automatically rotates custom keys based on the rotation period you set.

Prerequisites

  • The key is enabled.
  • The Origin of the key is KMS.
  • Only symmetric keys can be rotated.

Constraints

  • A disabled custom key is never rotated, even if rotation is enabled for it.

    KMS resumes rotation when this custom key is enabled. If you enable this custom key after one rotation period has passed, KMS will rotate it within 24 hours.

  • Only CMKs can be rotated.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management console.
  2. Click in the upper left corner of the management console and select a region or project.
  3. Click on the left and choose Security > Data Encryption Workshop.
  1. Click the custom key name to access it details page.
  2. Click the Rotation Policy tab. The rotation switch is displayed.
  3. Click to enable key rotation.
  4. In the displayed Enable Rotation Policy dialog box, set the rotation period and click OK.

    • Set the rotation period (unit: day) to an integer in the range 30 to 365. The default value is 365.
    • After the setting takes effect, the new rotation period starts.
    • Configure the period based on how often a custom key is used. If it is frequently used, configure a short period. Otherwise, set a long one.
      • A disabled custom key is never rotated, even if rotation is enabled for it.
      • KMS resumes rotation when this custom key is enabled. If you enable this custom key after one rotation period has passed, KMS will rotate it within 24 hours.
      • You can click to change the rotation period. After the period is changed, KMS rotates the key by the new period.

  5. Enable key rotation. The key rotation details are displayed.

    Figure 1 Key rotation details

    You can click to change the rotation period. After the period is changed, KMS rotates the key by the new period.

Parent topic: Rotating CMKs