Protecting Data in the Cloud: A Systematic Literature Review of Key Management

The rapid adoption of cloud computing (CC) has intensified the demand for robust key management services (KMS) to safeguard data amid escalating privacy and security concerns. Despite KMS being pivotal to securing this increasingly vital technology for modern enterprises, existing literature often lacks a comprehensive, user‐centric synthesis of KMS techniques and their practical implications. This systematic literature review (SLR) bridges this gap by analysing 53 significant studies from 2011 to 2024, evaluating KMS in CC with a focus on security, privacy, and operational challenges. Our key contributions include an innovative taxonomy classifying KMS techniques, thoroughly analysing cryptographic methods, and identifying critical research gaps, such as latency reduction and enhanced data privacy. Employing taxonomic classification, meta‐analysis, and architectural evaluation, we assessed KMS solutions, including tools like AWS KMS and CloudHSM, revealing substantial progress in KMS architectures and privacy‐preserving cryptography. However, persistent challenges, such as latency, scalability, and regulatory compliance, underscore the need for innovative cryptographic and architectural advancements. This survey delivers a comprehensive knowledge base and taxonomy to steer future KMS research in CC, advancing the state of the art by equipping researchers and practitioners with a structured foundation to design more secure, efficient, and compliant cloud systems.