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* Staging: Vault Mgmt (#380) * Commit #1 - Updated Master Password article, and removed old versions (w/ redirects) - Repurposed Account Encryption Key Article - Moved Fingerprint Phrase article - Requisite re-ordering of security articles - Change "Account Mgmt" title to "Your Vault" - Slight change to "Import & Export" category title * - Managing Items - Favorites & Folders (+images) - Sync & Search (+images) - Import Export title change - Clarification re: Login v. Lock in "Field Guide to Two-step Login" - Clarifiation re: Org Invite Expiry in managing-users.md - New link to Acct. Encryption Key in encrypted-export.md * Commit #3 -Custom Fields - URIs (+ images) - File Attachments - VH Reports - Required re-ordering * Commit #4 -BWDC Login recommendation -VH Reports images - Added Two-step FAQs, Import FAQs - FAQ Nav Item depricated, targetting FAQs for each category are now the last article within respective categories * Commit #5 -Edit & move Account/Org Deletion Article -config.yml to re-order global nav -encrypted export update * General FAQs (preliminary edits) * Features > Misc. * return forgot-master-password.md & downstream order changes * delete account warning * fixed link
47 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
47 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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layout: article
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title: Account Encryption Key
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categories: [security]
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featured: false
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popular: false
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tags: [encryption key, account]
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order: 04
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redirect_from:
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- /article/update-encryption-key/
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---
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Each unique Bitwarden account has an encryption key derived from your Master Password, according to the methods defined in [Encryption]({% link _articles/security/what-encryption-is-used.md %}). This encryption key is used to encrypt all Vault data.
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## Rotate your Encryption Key
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{% callout warning %}
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**Rotating your encryption key is a potentially dangerous operation.** Please read this section thoroughly to understand the full ramifications of doing so.
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{% endcallout %}
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Rotating your account's encryption key generates a new encryption key that is used to re-encryption all Vault data. After rotating, you should quickly take the following actions to prevent data loss or corruption:
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#### Log out of Client Applications
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When you rotate an encryption key, you **must immediately** log out of any logged-in sessions on Bitwarden client applications (Desktop App, Browser Extension, Mobile App, etc). Logging out of client applications in this way will shut down sessions using the "stale" (prior-to-rotation) encryption key. After doing so, logging back in as normal will use the new encryption key.
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**Making changes in a session with a "stale" encryption key will cause data corruption that will make your data unrecoverable.**
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#### Re-download any Encrypted Exports
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If you're using [Encrypted Exports]({% link _articles/importing/encrypted-export.md %}) to store long-term secure backups, you should immediately re-download the encrypted export of your Vault data using the new encryption key.
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Encrypted Exports use your encryption key to encrypt **and decrypt** your Vault data, meaning that a rotated encryption key will not be able to decrypt an export created with the "stale" (prior-to-rotation) key.
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### How to Rotate your Encryption Key
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Complete the following steps to rotate your account encryption key:
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1. Log in to your [Web Vault](https://vault.bitwarden.com){:target="\_blank"}.
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2. Select **Settings** from the top navigation bar.
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3. On the **My Account** page, locate the **Change Master Password** section.
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4. Enter your **Current Master Password** and create/confirm a **New Master Password**.
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{% callout success %}If you don't want to change your Master Password and only rotate your account encryption key, you can enter your current master password in the **New** fields to prevent it from changing.{% endcallout %}
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5. Check the **Also rotate my account's encryption key** checkbox and accept the dialog.
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6. Select the **Change Master Password** button.
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