K1 Key hierarchy and key types

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Lesson K1: From the HSM master key to working keys: every key type and its single purpose.

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The opening of the lesson

Why it matters

A payment host may hold thousands of keys, but only one sits in clear, and only inside the HSM: the master key. All the others are encrypted under a key above them. Every key ceremony, HSM command and key-related error message uses the vocabulary of this hierarchy: "ZPK under ZMK", "TPK under LMK".

In the full lesson

The concept
In the real world
Common mistakes
What to test

What module K1 covers →

The rest of the lesson opens with a supporter pass, which you can try free for 7 days.