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What to Do If You Accidentally Delete KMS Key Material: A Recovery Guide
Learn what to do if you accidentally delete KMS key material. Follow this step-by-step guide to restore functionality, prevent disruptions, and protect your production systems.
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Introduction
AWS Key Management Service (KMS) is essential for securing sensitive data in your cloud environment. However, KMS keys with imported external key material have a unique vulnerability: deleting the key material doesn’t have a grace period like standard KMS keys.
If you accidentally delete the external key material, it can cause significant disruptions to encrypted resources in your production systems. Instances may fail to start, and data may become inaccessible. The good news? With the right steps, you can recover from this scenario.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
- Recovering deleted KMS key material by re-importing it.
- Validating the functionality of your production systems.
- Best practices for preventing future disruptions, including backup and auditing strategies.
Let’s dive in!