Public Preview: Symmetric keys on Azure Key Vault Premium

We’re announcing post-quantum resilient symmetric keys on Azure Key Vault Premium are now available in public preview.

This preview enables customers and partners to evaluate symmetric encryption capabilities using the oct-HSM key type and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm directly within Azure Key Vault. Customers can use AES algorithms to encrypt, decrypt, wrap, and unwrap data while continuing to benefit from Azure-managed security, compliance, and operational controls.

AES algorithms with 256-bit keys are aligned with CNSA 2.0 requirements and can help organizations prepare for post-quantum cryptography readiness scenarios.

Key benefits include:

• Centralized key management through Azure Key Vault Premium
• Support for oct-HSM symmetric keys
• AES-based encryption and decryption operations
• Simplified integration with existing Azure security workflows
• Consistent security and operational controls across Azure services

Note: Azure portal support for symmetric key management is currently rolling out. During the rollout period, customers can use Azure CLI, ARM templates to create and manage oct-HSM symmetric keys and access the full preview functionality.

Learn more:

• About keys
• Key types, algorithms, and operations