Patent ID: 8295492

Claim:
A key management agent system in a computer network, the system comprising: a centralized key control system that automatically generates and distributes asymmetric cryptographic keys for use by software applications in the computer network, the key control system including a key management server computer; an administrative server interface, providing a user interface to the key management agent system, that is communicatively connected to the key control system; at least one key management agent disposed on a computing machine communicatively connected to the key control system and arranged to receive at least one of the asymmetric cryptographic keys directly from the key control system wherein the at least one asymmetric key is identified by a key label, with the key label for use in rotation of asymmetric keys for encryption and in rotation of asymmetric keys for authentication; and at least one key store communicatively connected to the key management agent and automatically loaded with the at least one asymmetric cryptographic keys as directed by the key control system, wherein the key management system provides for rotation and distribution of asymmetric cryptographic keys by having the administrative server interface instruct the key management server of the key control system to generate a new cryptographic key and to distribute the new cryptographic key to at least one of the key management agents with a message to only set the new cryptographic key as current once the new cryptographic key has been successfully received by all necessary key management agents.