rewrap

Rewrap is the act of wrapping something again. The term is used across multiple contexts to indicate reapplying a wrap, cover, or concealment after removal, opening, or during repackaging. In everyday use, rewrapping often occurs with gifts, merchandise, or food containers, and may be part of quality control, returns processing, or gift presentation. Rewrapping can involve new materials, such as paper, plastic, or protective film, and may aim to protect contents, restore appearance, or comply with packaging standards.

In computing and information security, rewrap refers to key rewrapping, a cryptographic operation in which a ciphertext wrapped under one key is transformed to be wrapped under a different key without exposing the underlying plaintext. Typical workflow: decrypt using the source key with a secure method, then re-encrypt under a target wrapping key, often as part of key management and rotation. Rewrap differs from re-encryption of plaintext, as the data remains encrypted throughout and the operation does not reveal the plaintext to the rewrap process.

Practical considerations for rewrap include maintaining data integrity, preserving compatibility with existing systems, and aligning with organizational key-management policies. Rewrapping may introduce performance overhead and requires secure handling to avoid key loss, exposure, or policy violations. Documentation and auditing are common controls in environments that use key rewrapping.

While the term has broad usage, readers typically encounter it in logistics and security contexts. The concept emphasizes applying an existing wrap again or transferring protection from one key to another, without exposing sensitive information.