Key Rotation for AI Agents: The Security Practice You're Probably Skipping

Key Rotation for AI Agents: The Security Practice You're Probably Skipping

The average API key compromise goes undetected for 327 days.

That's from IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024. Not 32 days. Not 3 weeks. Almost a year.

Now think about your AI agent. Right now it has your Anthropic key. Your OpenAI key. Maybe your AWS credentials. Your database connection string. Everything it needs to do its job—and everything an attacker needs to do theirs.

When was the last time you rotated those keys?

Yeah. That's what I thought.

Why Keys Age

Keys don't expire on their own. They just accumulate risk.

Every day a key exists is another day it could end up:

• In a log file someone forgot to redact
• In a git commit history (yes, even if you deleted it)
• In a breach dump from a service you used once
• In a screenshot you shared with a colleague
• Extracted from your machine by malware you didn't notice

81% of hacking-related breaches involve stolen credentials (Verizon DBIR 2024). Not sophisticated zero-days. Not nation-state attacks. Just credentials that were lying around too long.

NIST SP 800-63B recommends rotating secrets every 90 days. PCI-DSS 4.0 requires it for compliance. SOC2 auditors will ask about your rotation policy.

But beyond compliance—it's just smart risk management.

What Keys to Rotate

Your OpenClaw deployment has several key types that need periodic rotation:

API Keys ($$$)

Your Anthropic and OpenAI keys. Each request costs money. An attacker with these keys could:

• Run up thousands in API costs
• Use your quota to train their own models
• Access whatever data your prompts contain
• Make requests that look like they came from you

These should rotate every 90 days.

TOTP Secrets (Your 2FA)

The secret that generates your 2FA codes. If compromised, an attacker can generate valid codes just like you can.

These should rotate annually or after any suspected compromise.

Encryption Keys (The Master Key)

The key that protects everything else stored at rest—your API keys, your secrets, your sensitive configurations.

This is operator-level rotation, typically every 1-2 years, with proper dual-key migration support.

The Real Cost of Not Rotating

Here's what happens when you skip key rotation:

81% of breaches involve stolen credentials. Most of those credentials were older than 90 days when compromised.

The math is simple: shorter key lifetime = smaller attack window.

How Clawctl Handles Key Rotation

We built rotation into the platform so you don't have to think about it:

Automatic Email Warnings

• 14 days before expiration: First heads-up email
• 7 days before expiration: Final warning
• Day of expiration: "Your key has expired" (but still works)

You'll know before it becomes a problem.

Dashboard Indicators

Your account page shows:

• Key age in days
• Yellow warning at 90+ days
• Red warning at 180+ days
• One-click "Rotate Now" button

No hunting through settings. No command-line archaeology. Just visual feedback.

Zero-Downtime Rotation

When you rotate:

1. New key generates instantly
2. Old key invalidates immediately
3. Update your CLI config
4. Done

For TOTP rotation, you verify both old and new codes before the switch completes. No lockout risk.

For encryption key rotation, we support dual-key decryption during migration. Old encrypted data works with the old key while you transition to the new one.

Full Audit Trail

Every rotation is logged:

• When the rotation happened
• Who initiated it (you or your team member)
• Total rotation count

For compliance. For debugging. For peace of mind.

How to Rotate Each Key Type

API Keys (90-Day Recommendation)

1. Go to Account > API Key Security in the dashboard
2. Click "Rotate Now"
3. Confirm the rotation
4. Copy your new key (shown once!)
5. Update any external integrations using the old key

TOTP Secret (Annual Recommendation)

Dashboard:

1. Go to Account → Security
2. Click "Rotate 2FA Secret"
3. Scan new QR code with your authenticator
4. Enter old code (from current authenticator)
5. Enter new code (from new authenticator setup)
6. Save your new backup codes

The double verification ensures you don't lock yourself out.

Encryption Key (Operator-Level, 1-2 Years)

This is for self-hosted or BYO deployments:

1. Generate new key: ENCRYPTION_KEY_NEW
2. Set ENCRYPTION_KEY_PREV to old key
3. Set ENCRYPTION_KEY to new key
4. Run migration job (re-encrypts all values)
5. Remove ENCRYPTION_KEY_PREV after migration

Clawctl's dual-key support means zero downtime during migration.

FAQ

What happens to active sessions when I rotate?

API key rotation: Your current dashboard session stays valid. The API key is separate from your session token.

TOTP rotation: Dashboard session unaffected. Only new 2FA verifications use the new secret.

Can I automate rotation?

Not yet, but it's on the roadmap. For now, the email reminders + dashboard warnings keep you on track.

What if I miss the expiration warnings?

Your key doesn't stop working. We don't auto-disable keys. The warnings are just prompts to rotate—you control the timing.

Does rotation affect my audit history?

No. Audit events are immutable. Rotation is just another logged event in your timeline.

What if someone compromised my key before I rotated?

Rotation immediately invalidates the old key. If the attacker had it, they no longer do. Check your audit logs for suspicious activity during the key's lifetime.

The 60-Second Habit

Here's a practice that takes less than a minute and dramatically reduces your exposure:

Every quarter (Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, Oct 1):

1. Log into the Clawctl dashboard
2. Check API key age under Account > API Key Security
3. If > 90 days, click Rotate
4. Copy your new key and update any external integrations
5. Done

Set a calendar reminder. Make it a habit. Four times a year, 60 seconds each.

That's 4 minutes per year to eliminate one of the most common attack vectors.

Summary

Your AI agent's power is also its vulnerability. Those API keys, TOTP secrets, and encryption keys are the gates to everything your agent can do.

Keys don't expire on their own. They accumulate risk. Every day they exist is another day they could be compromised.

Rotation limits that risk. 90 days for API keys. Annually for TOTP. Every 1-2 years for encryption keys.

Clawctl makes it easy: email warnings, dashboard indicators, one-click rotation, zero downtime.

Don't be the person who learns about key rotation after the breach.

Rotate your API key now → | Security overview → | Deploy with Clawctl →