Why is it important to rotate cryptographic keys?

• A. Increases the risk of data being compromised
• B. Reduces the risk of data being compromised
• C. Damages encrypted data
• D. Increases system complexity without security benefits

Answer: (B)

Rotating cryptographic keys means periodically replacing the keys used to protect data. This keeps the impact of any single compromised key small: if a key is stolen, only the data encrypted with that specific key is at risk, and once you rotate to a new key, past data can be retired from usability with the old key. It also enables quick revocation and rekeying if a key is suspected or proven compromised, giving post-compromise security and forward secrecy for future data. The actual data remains protected overall because new data is encrypted with fresh keys, and the transition is handled through proper key management. So, the main benefit is reducing the risk of data being compromised.