Introducing Scalable Application Keys for Enhanced Security and Performance

If you work in an industry with high performance and security demands like video surveillance, internet of things (IoT), and mobile applications, a new Backblaze capability could help your cloud workflows-Scalable Application Keys. This new capability enables you to generate application keys for your Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage Buckets at 150 times the current scale. When you need high volume, short-lived application keys to upload your data to cloud storage, you can't tolerate bottlenecks-the Scalable Application Keys feature removes them.

Today, I'm digging into the challenges solved by Scalable Application Keys, the use cases where it has the most impact, and the benefits of the feature.

The challenges

Managing large volumes of data under strict security requirements sometimes requires using application keys programmatically to interact with cloud storage buckets. In the video surveillance industry, for example, you might upload massive amounts of video footage directly from security cameras to Backblaze B2, and you need to regularly refresh the application keys used by each of those cameras to maintain a robust security posture. However, this practice has a few unique requirements:

• You can't be hampered by rate limitations to generate the volume of application keys you need.
• You need high key limits sufficient for the total volume of keys.
• Throughput needs to be high to generate hundreds or thousands of new application keys simultaneously.

The irregular timing of key refreshes and the scale of operations can further amplify the problem, especially when hundreds or thousands of devices request new keys at the same time.

The solution: Scalable Application Keys

With the introduction of Scalable Application Keys, Backblaze B2 customers can generate and refresh keys at significantly higher volumes and throughput-without hitting hard limits on the number of keys. This feature is designed to accommodate the unique requirements of customers who need:

• High key throughput: Create keys at scale, even when thousands of devices need new keys simultaneously. You can create up to 10,000 keys per minute.
• Unlimited key generation: Scale without interruption-there's no hard cap on the number of application keys that can be generated.
• Short-lived keys: Easily generate keys with very short lifespans, enhancing security without compromising functionality.
• S3 compatibility: Maintain support for the Backblaze S3 compatible API, allowing you to avoid costly firmware upgrades on your devices.

Real-world applications

This feature is particularly beneficial for customers with many endpoints that all upload to Backblaze B2 cloud individually through the S3 Compatible API. For example:

Video surveillance: Companies with large networks of security cameras can now easily refresh keys for each device frequently. When you operate tens of thousands of cameras that record sensitive footage, you need to be able to refresh application keys regularly to maintain security. With Scalable Application Keys, you can handle refreshes efficiently and continue scaling the number of cameras in operation without worry.

Mobile applications: Developers of mobile apps that store data in B2 Cloud Storage can generate unique keys for each user's device. This is especially useful for apps that rely on user-generated and user-uploaded content, where each end device needs its own application key.

IoT devices: Businesses managing large fleets of IoT devices, where each device needs a unique and regularly refreshed application key, can ensure secure, individualized access to cloud storage.

Benefits of Scalable Application Keys

1. Enhanced security:
   • Frequent key rotation becomes feasible at scale, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
   • Short-lived keys minimize the window of vulnerability if a key is compromised.
   • Customers can implement best practices for key management without extraneous components that could cause performance penalties.
2. Operational flexibility:
   • Easily manage key generation for large numbers of devices, from thousands to millions.
   • Accommodate sudden spikes in key requests, such as during system-wide updates or resets.
   • Adapt to varying usage patterns throughout the day without hitting rate limits.
3. Cost effectiveness:
   • Avoid expensive firmware upgrades by continuing to use the S3 Compatible API.
   • Eliminate the need for complex workarounds or additional infrastructure to handle key management.

Scalable Application Keys not only solves existing limitations but also future-proofs your workflows by providing the flexibility and performance needed to scale without restriction.This feature allows you to securely manage access to B2 Cloud Storage, no matter the scale of your operations.

Ready to get started?

This feature is available upon request. If you're an existing Backblaze B2 customer and want to get access to this capability, please contact our Support team to request access.

New to Backblaze? Contact our Sales team to learn more about how Scalable Application Keys can benefit your business and how to get started.

Once this feature is enabled, you can generate application keys at scale. Check out the documentation for more on how to use the feature.

What next?

Are you leveraging Scalable Application Keys to build more efficient and performant workflows? Share how it's working for you so other organizations and developers can benefit from what you find. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

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