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Create and obtaining a CMEK key
If you use customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) to encrypt your
Assured Workloads resources, this page shows you how to create and
obtain those keys. Learn more about
Assured Workloads encryption options.
Select the project ID for the project that contains your
Assured Workloads CMEK keys. If you chose IL4 or CJIS as a
control package, then, by default, this project is created for you.
Create the key
To create the CMEK key, do the following:
In the Google Cloud console, go to the Key management page:
Select the Assured Workloads CMEK project. By default, this project
ID starts with cmek-.
Click your key ring.
Click Create Key.
From the What type of key do you want to create? list, select
Generated key.
In Key name enter the key name.
From the Protection level list, select Software.
From the Purpose list, select Symmetric encryption/decryption.
From the Rotation period list, select 90 days.
Optional: To add a label, do the following:
Click Add a label.
Enter a key in the Key text field.
Enter a value in the Value text field.
Click Create.
Obtain your CMEK key resource ID
In Google Cloud console, in the Project Selector, select the project ID
for the project that contains your CMEK keys. By default, if
Assured Workloads creates this project, it prepends the project ID
cmek-.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-25 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis guide details how to create and obtain customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) for encrypting Assured Workloads resources.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eBefore creating a CMEK, you should choose an encryption strategy and have an Assured Workloads folder that supports your requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe CMEK key creation process involves navigating to the Key Management page in the Google Cloud console, selecting the relevant project, and configuring key details like name, protection level, purpose, and rotation period.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTo obtain your CMEK key resource ID, you must go to the Key Management page in the Google Cloud console, navigate to the key, and then copy the resource name.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIf you have already created a CMEK key, you can skip the key creation process and go directly to obtaining your CMEK key resource ID.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Create and obtaining a CMEK key\n===============================\n\nIf you use customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) to encrypt your\nAssured Workloads resources, this page shows you how to create and\nobtain those keys. Learn more about\n[Assured Workloads encryption options](/assured-workloads/docs/key-management).\n\nBefore you begin\n----------------\n\n1. Choose an encryption strategy.\n\n | **Note:** Review [Data encryption and encryption keys](/assured-workloads/docs/key-management), to determine your encryption strategy.\n2. [Create an Assured Workloads folder](/assured-workloads/docs/key-management)\n for a control package that supports your requirements.\n\n3. Select the project ID for the project that contains your\n Assured Workloads CMEK keys. If you chose IL4 or CJIS as a\n control package, then, by default, this project is created for you.\n\n| **Note:** When accessing a project within an Assured Workloads folder, you must acknowledge the Regulatory Intercept, which generates an audit log when accessing a regulated resource.\n\nCreate the key\n--------------\n\n| **Note:** If you have already created a CMEK, you can skip key creation and go directly to [Obtain your CMEK key resource ID](#obtain_id).\n\nTo create the CMEK key, do the following:\n\n1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the **Key management** page:\n\n [Go to Key management](https://console.cloud.google.com/security/kms)\n2. Select the Assured Workloads CMEK project. By default, this project\n ID starts with `cmek-`.\n\n3. Click your key ring.\n\n4. Click **Create Key**.\n\n5. From the **What type of key do you want to create?** list, select\n **Generated key**.\n\n6. In **Key name** enter the key name.\n\n7. From the **Protection level** list, select **Software**.\n\n8. From the **Purpose** list, select **Symmetric encryption/decryption**.\n\n9. From the **Rotation period** list, select **90 days**.\n\n10. Optional: To add a label, do the following:\n\n 1. Click **Add a label.**\n 2. Enter a key in the **Key** text field.\n 3. Enter a value in the **Value** text field.\n11. Click **Create.**\n\nObtain your CMEK key resource ID\n--------------------------------\n\n| **Note:** You might need to contact your security administrator or Assured Workloads administrator to obtain the key resource ID.\n\n1. In Google Cloud console, in the **Project Selector** , select the project ID for the project that contains your CMEK keys. By default, if Assured Workloads creates this project, it prepends the project ID `cmek-`.\n2. In **Security** , go to the **Key management** page:\n\n [Go to Key management](https://console.cloud.google.com/security/kms)\n3. Under **Key rings**, click the key ring name.\n\n4. In **Key ring details** , in the **Keys** tab, click the name of the key.\n\n5. Click the *more_vert* **More**\n icon to the right of the key name.\n\n6. Click **Copy Resource Name**.\n\n The resource string is formatted as follows: \n\n projects/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eSECURITY_PROJECT_ID\u003c/var\u003e/locations/LOCATION/keyRings/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eKEY_RING_NAME\u003c/var\u003e/cryptoKeys/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eKEY_NAME\u003c/var\u003e\n\nWhat's next\n-----------\n\n- Learn about [supporting compliance with key management](/assured-workloads/docs/key-management).\n- Learn about [data encryption and encryption keys](/assured-workloads/docs/encryption-keys)."]]