=== Realm Key Pairs

The authentication protocols that are used by {{book.project.name}} require cryptographic signatures and sometimes even
encryption.  {{book.project.name}} uses a asymmetric key pair, a private and public key to accomplish this.  When a realm
is created a key pair is automatically generated.  It is recommended that you cycle this key pair occasionally.  How often
you do this is dependent on your organizational needs and security requirements as you have to make sure every application
that needs the public or certificate of your realm get this updated.  This can be a lot of work!

To cycle a key pair click on the `Realm Settings` left menu item, go to the `Keys` tab, and push the `Generate new keys` button.

.Keys tab
image:../../{{book.images}}/keys-tab.png[]

This will create a brand new key pair for your realm.