OpenKCM (Open Key Chain Manager)
OpenKCM (Open Key Chain Manager) is an open-source service for governing encryption keys and protecting data at rest.
What OpenKCM (Open Key Chain Manager) is
OpenKCM (Open Key Chain Manager) is an open-source service for governing encryption keys and protecting data at rest. It supports customer key import through BYOK and lets organizations keep master keys in their own infrastructure through HYOK. Its recursive L1–L4 hierarchy makes data keys dependent on higher-level keys. Governance and policy control sit in CMK, while Krypton handles cryptographic execution, including wrapping and unwrapping keys using keys temporarily loaded into secure memory. Applications request key operations through KMIP. The Gateway is designed to run near applications, such as in Kubernetes or a cloud VPC, and the same software can run across AWS, Azure, and on-premise environments. Customer root keys can remain in AWS, Azure, or GCP key services, or in on-premise HSMs; OpenKCM retains a reference to the L1 key. The project is free and Apache-2.0 licensed, with a hybrid deployment model, audit logs, and key import. Its CMK and Krypton components are actively being developed.
Good
- Supports BYOK and HYOK key management.
- Keeps customer root keys in external KMS or HSM.
- Uses KMIP for application key operations.
- Includes audit logs and a key revocation kill switch.
- Free and Apache-2.0 licensed.
Watch out
- Krypton is still in active development.
- Encryption and decryption are listed as in progress.
- High availability and disaster recovery are planned for 2027.
Who it suits
OpenKCM is aimed at regulated-data organizations, enterprises managing keys across regions, SaaS platforms seeking BYOK or HYOK, and developers of encrypted storage. It may suit teams that need customer-controlled root keys and hybrid deployment.
Verdict
OpenKCM offers a hybrid key-management approach with customer-held root keys, hierarchical key governance, and a KMIP interface. Its development status and planned work are important considerations for teams evaluating it.
The facts
Each one read from OpenKCM (Open Key Chain Manager)'s own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Architecture
- OpenKCM separates governance and policy control in CMK from cryptographic execution in Krypton.checked 4 Oct 2026
- BYOK and HYOK
- It supports importing customer keys (BYOK) and keeping master keys in the customer’s own infrastructure (HYOK).checked 5 Oct 2026
- Cryptographic operations
- The Krypton execution plane wraps and unwraps keys using keys temporarily loaded into secure memory.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The documentation describes deploying the Gateway near applications in a Kubernetes cluster or cloud VPC, and says the same Gateway software can run across AWS, Azure, and on-premise environments.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Development status
- The project documentation says the CMK layer can be tried through its repository instructions and Krypton is in active progress.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Edge deployment
- The Krypton Gateway is described as running in an application environment such as Kubernetes or a VPC.checked 5 Oct 2026
- External key stores
- The trust model names AWS, Azure, and GCP key services and on-premise HSMs as locations for customer root keys.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Governance and execution
- The trust model separates the CMK governance plane from the Krypton cryptographic execution plane.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Identity and audit
- The CMK component connects to a corporate identity provider and outputs audit logs to SIEM systems.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The trust model names AWS, Azure, and GCP external KMS services and on-premise Thales or Entrust HSMs as locations for customer root keys.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker identifies cloud-native organizations, enterprises with regional key lifecycle needs, SaaS platforms, and developers of encrypted storage as intended users.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Key hierarchy
- It organizes keys in a recursive L1–L4 hierarchy and describes data keys as dependent on higher-level keys.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Key management
- It supports key hierarchies, importing customer keys through BYOK, and keeping master keys in the customer’s infrastructure through HYOK.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Key security
- The trust model says the customer’s L1 root key remains in the customer’s external KMS or HSM, while OpenKCM holds a reference to it.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The OpenKCM GitHub organization lists its CMK and Krypton repositories under the Apache-2.0 license.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Project home
- OpenKCM says it is a project of Linux Foundation Europe.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Project status
- The project’s GitHub page says its CMK control plane and Krypton crypto layer are actively being developed and links to documentation and a roadmap.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Protocol
- OpenKCM describes KMIP as its standard API for applications to request key operations.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- OpenKCM is an open-source key management service for managing cryptographic keys across services and regions.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Revocation
- OpenKCM describes a kill switch that can stop downstream key use by deleting the root-key pointer or revoking the root key.checked 4 Oct 2026
Money
- Planned work
- The project roadmap lists encryption and decryption operations as in progress, while audit export, high availability, and disaster recovery are planned for 2027.checked 5 Oct 2026
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