Managing Customer-Owned Encryption with the New Key Management Service | feat. Sascha Vierlinger

Managing Customer-Owned Encryption with the New Key Management Service | feat. Sascha Vierlinger

From Unlocking SAP BTP by SAP SE

February 18, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 125

About this episode

The episode discusses customer-owned encryption and the new Key Management Service from SAP, focusing on key control and security in cloud environments.

Niklas Siemer is joined by Sascha Vierlinger, Product Manager for SAP Key Management service, to unpack customer-owned encryption in cloud landscapes—and why more organizations want control of the “last layer” of trust: the keys. They walk through why encryption matters more in the cloud, the difference between SAP-managed vs. customer-managed keys, and what a modern Key Management Service (KMS) needs to deliver: secure key storage, lifecycle controls (enable/disable/delete), auditability, and operational safeguards like the four-eyes principle. The conversation also covers the classic “red button” scenario (cutting off access fast in an emergency), and how SAP’s new KMS is designed as a more scalable, central approach compared to the legacy SAP Data Custodian KMS. ⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠ In this episode, you'll learn: Why who controls the key is effectively who controls the data (especially in regulated industries). The three models for key control: Sub-managed keys, Bring Your Own Key (BYOK), and Hold Your Own Key (HYOK). What "key lifecycle" really means (rotation, disabling, deletion—and the very real risks). How SAP's new KMS supports stronger governance…

People in this episode

Host: Niklas Siemer

Guest: Sascha Vierlinger

Topics covered

  • customer-owned encryption
  • key management service
  • cloud security
  • data governance
  • encryption models

Keywords

  • encryption
  • key management
  • cloud landscapes
  • auditability
  • data control
  • governance
  • KMS

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SAP, SAP Data Custodian, SAP BTP

Products: Key Management Service

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