Which is a stage in the cryptographic keys lifecycle in DSAC-11 Annex B?

• A. Rotation
• B. Playback
• C. Storage
• D. Expiration

Answer: (A)

Periodic rotation of cryptographic keys is a stage in key management: it involves periodically replacing an existing key with a new one and retiring the old key. This keeps the cryptosystem resilient by limiting how much data could be exposed if a key were compromised; only data encrypted with that specific key during its active period is at risk, not data protected by newer keys. In DSAC-11 Annex B, this refreshing of keys is treated as a lifecycle stage because it is a deliberate point in time when keys are updated to maintain security and control. Terms like storage describe where keys are kept, while playback isn’t a cryptographic concept here, and expiration relates to time-limiting a key’s validity but isn’t the lifecycle stage highlighted in this context.