Nyckelläckage

Nyckelläckage is a term used in some Swedish-language information security writings to describe the unintended exposure of cryptographic keys, passwords, or other secret material to unauthorized parties. The word combines nyckel (key) and läckage (leakage). It is not universally standardized and may appear alongside English terms such as key leakage, key exposure, or key compromise in different sources.

The concept covers incidents where secret data leaves secure boundaries, whether through digital channels or physical handling. Common causes cited in security discussions include insecure key storage (such as unencrypted backups or misconfigured secret managers), keys checked into version control or other repositories, weak access controls, compromised devices, and certain side-channel information leaks. Nyckelläckage can affect symmetric keys, asymmetric private keys, API credentials, and other sensitive materials used to protect communications and data.

Implications of nyckelläckage are severe: compromised keys can enable unauthorized decryption, data theft, impersonation, and broader system compromise. The risk is heightened when keys lack proper lifecycle management or are reused across systems. Prevention focuses on robust key management practices, including the use of hardware security modules or dedicated key vaults, strong access governance, regular key rotation, secure development and deployment pipelines, encryption of secrets at rest and in transit, and thorough monitoring and auditing to detect unusual access patterns.

Nyckelläckage sits within the broader topic of cryptographic key management and secret leakage. While the term is used in some Swedish texts, coverage and definitions vary, and it is often described by more general terminology in international literature. See also cryptographic key management, secret management, data leakage.