Combined Encryption Key Management release notes for upgrades from Xanadu to Zurich

zurich Combined Product Files

Release

zurich

ft:locale

en-US

ft:publication_title

zurich Combined Product Files

ft:clusterId

delta3zx

bundleId

delta3zx

Combined Encryption Key Management release notes for upgrades from Xanadu to Zurich

Release version: Zurich

Updated August 11, 2026

7 minutes to read

Summarize

Summarized using AI

Summary of Combined Encryption Key Management Release Notes for Upgrades from Xanadu to Zurich

This consolidated guide provides ServiceNow customers with essential information about Encryption Key Management updates and changes across the release families from Xanadu through Zurich. It covers new features, important upgrade considerations, deprecated functionality, and activation details to help you prepare for and smoothly execute your upgrade to Zurich.

Show full answer Show less

Important Upgrade Information

3DES Deprecation: The GlideEncrypter API previously used the three-key Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES), which NIST recommends against using after 2023. Yokohama initiated changes disabling 3DES for new instances and provided a system property to disable it on upgrades. In Zurich, GlideEncrypter is updated to use AES256-GCM encryption via the Key Management Framework. New Zurich instances cannot use 3DES, but upgraded instances may still use GlideEncrypter with AES256-GCM. Disabling GlideEncrypter can be controlled via a system property on upgraded instances.
Upgrade Tasks: Review and complete pre- and post-upgrade tasks specific to Encryption Key Management before moving to Zurich to ensure compliance with new encryption standards and feature configurations.

New Features

Code Signing Enhancements (Xanadu): A new plugin introduces roles and administration features including signature migration jobs and a streamlined activation UI.
Field Encryption Renaming and Improvements (Yokohama): Column Level Encryption has been rebranded to Field Encryption Starter and Enterprise editions. The Access Observer tool helps monitor data access, and migration from Edge Encryption to Field Encryption is improved to avoid unencrypted data states.
Audit Logging (Zurich): Changes to Field Encryption and Key Management records are now automatically logged to the Sys Audits [sysaudit] table, enhancing traceability and compliance monitoring.
GlideEncrypter Update (Zurich): GlideEncrypter now uses AES256-GCM encryption, improving security and aligning with modern encryption standards.

Changes to Existing Features

Code Signing Security (Xanadu): Script and attachment signing must occur on trusted non-production instances or with a standalone tool, enhancing Root of Trust security.
Download All Attachments (Xanadu): When Edge Encryption is enabled, multiple encrypted documents can be downloaded in a single zip file.
Logging Enhancements (Xanadu): Improved system and audit logging for Column Level Encryption facilitate better troubleshooting and analysis.
GlideEncrypter Controls (Zurich): Administrators can enable or disable GlideEncrypter using a system property on upgraded instances; this property is unavailable on new Zurich instances.

Deprecations and Removals

No features or functionality within Encryption Key Management were removed or deprecated between Xanadu and Zurich releases.

Activation and Licensing

The Platform Encryption subscription bundle includes Field Encryption Enterprise and Cloud Encryption across Yokohama and Zurich, with the Enterprise plugin activated via com.glide.now.platform.encryption.
Column Level Encryption Enterprise in Xanadu is similarly enabled through the Enterprise plugin and bundled licensing.

Additional Considerations

No changes were noted in browser requirements, accessibility, localization, or additional system requirements for Encryption Key Management between these releases.

Summary of Key Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

Enhanced security compliance through upgrade from deprecated 3DES encryption to AES256-GCM.
Improved audit trail capabilities with automatic logging of encryption and key management changes.
Simplified code signing administration with new roles, UI, and migration tools.
Streamlined migration from older encryption methods to modern Field Encryption without data exposure risks.
Greater control over legacy encryption features with system properties and administrative tools.

Consolidated page of all release notes for Encryption Key Management from Xanadu to Zurich.

How to use this page

To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family Encryption Key Management release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Xanadu to Zurich.

Tip:

If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release."

Important information for upgrading Encryption Key Management to Zurich

Before you upgrade to Zurich, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	No updates for this release.
Yokohama	The GlideEncrypter API uses the three-key Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) encryption standard which NIST 800-131A Rev 2 has recommended against using after 2023. The following changes are taking place in the Yokohama release in preparation for a full deprecation of GlideEncrypter/3DES in the future. New Yokohama instances can’t use GlideEncrypter. All base system scripts have been changed to use alternative encryption processes. if you’re upgrading your Yokohama instances, you can still use 3DES, but you can also disable 3DES usage with a system property. Learn more about 3DES deprecation in KB1704481.
Zurich	In previous releases, the GlideEncrypter API used the three-key Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) encryption standard, which NIST 800-131A Rev 2 has recommended against using after 2023. The following changes are taking place in the Zurich release in preparation for a full deprecation of GlideEncrypter/3DES in the future: New Zurich instances can’t use GlideEncrypter. All base system scripts have been changed to use alternative encryption processes. if you’re upgrading your Zurich instances, you can still GlideEncrypter, which has been updated to use AES256-GCM encryption via the Key Management Framework. Learn more about 3DES deprecation in KB1704481.

New features

Between your current release family and Zurich, new features were introduced for Encryption Key Management.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	New plugin available for Code Signing roles and administrative features Activate the plugin to access the new roles and administration features. The new plugin creates signature migration jobs, new code signing roles, and a new code signing administration page.
Yokohama	Column Level Encryption is now Field Encryption Column Level Encryption has been rebranded to Field Encryption Starter (FES), while Column Level Encryption Enterprise is now Field Encryption Enterprise (FEE). Access observer Use access observer to understand the people and processes that access data on your instance. Improved migration process from Edge Encryption to Field Encryption Use the new process for migration from Edge Encryption to Field Encryption (formerly Column Level Encryption). This improved workflow ensures that your data migrates from Edge Encryption to Field encryption without spending time in an unencrypted state.
Zurich	Keep track of Field Encryption and Key Management changes By default, the changes to the records on these tables are now logged to the Sys Audits [sys_audit] table: Encrypted Field Configurations [sys_platform_encryption_configuration] Module Access Policies [sys_kmf_crypto_caller_policy] Cryptographic Modules [sys_kmf_crypto_module] For details on accessing the Sys Audits [sys_audit] table, see Review.

Changes

Between your current release family and Zurich, some changes were made to existing Encryption Key Management features.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	Changes to Code Signing requirements As a part of improving security around Root of Trust, signing of script and attachments records can only be done on your trusted non-production instance or using the standalone signing tool. The exception is notarization, which can still be performed in the protected production instance. Enhancement requests for the Code Signing Standalone signing tool Updates to Code Signing enable your administrators to work with keystores, signature records, and records to be signed outside of the local system. Improved activation process for Code Signing Activate Code signing with a new UI page that is designed to streamline the activation process. Download All Button for Multiple Attachments is available when Edge Encryption is enabled By using the download all functionality, you can now download multiple documents into a zip file when you also enable Edge Encryption. Edge Encryption jRobin dashboards have been migrated to NEXT Experience View troubleshooting and performance on dashboards that were migrated from the deprecated jRobin framework. These dashboards display the same information that was available in previous versions. Column Level Encryption Enterprise is installable by administrators after purchase After purchasing Column Level Encryption Enterprise, your administrator can typically activate the product without needing technical assistance. Support for full string UTF-8 in Column Level Encryption CLE supports encryption and decryption of the full range of UTF-8 characters, including emoji. Improved readability for Column Level Encryption logging With the improved system, node, application, and audit logging, your administrators can analyze and troubleshoot their CLE or CLEE implementation.
Yokohama	No updates for this release.
Zurich	Updates to GlideEncrypter functionality The GlideEncrypter API has been updated to use AES256-GCM encryption via the Key Management Framework. If needed, your instance can be changed to use legacy 3DES encryption, but this task can only be done by ServiceNow support. Disable GlideEncrypter on your instance GlideEncrypter can be enabled or turned off using the glide.security.glideencrypter.allow system property. This property is unavailable on new Zurich instances, but administrators with the security_admin role can edit this property in upgraded instances. When this system property is set to false, users see this error when attempting to run GlideEncrypter. `Unsupported call to GlideEncrypter. Details: GlideEncrypter is deprecated and now returns null, please refer KB1320986`

Removed

Between your current release family and Zurich, some Encryption Key Management features or functionality were removed.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	No updates for this release.
Yokohama	No updates for this release.
Zurich	No updates for this release.

Deprecations

Between your current release family and Zurich, some Encryption Key Management features or functionality were deprecated.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	No updates for this release.
Yokohama	No updates for this release.
Zurich	No updates for this release.

Activation information

Review information on how to activate Encryption Key Management.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	The Platform Encryption subscription bundle is a group commercial entitlement that includes Column Level Encryption Enterprise, Cloud Encryption, and Database Encryption. Column Level Encryption Enterprise is the unlimited license of Column Level Encryption. The Enterprise plugin is available with the activation of the com.glide.now.platform.encryption plugin. For details, see Encryption and Key Management subscription bundle.
Yokohama	The Platform Encryption subscription bundle is a group commercial entitlement that includes Field Encryption Enterprise and Cloud Encryption. Field Encryption Enterprise is the unlimited license of Field Encryption. The Enterprise plugin is available with the activation of the com.glide.now.platform.encryption plugin. For details, see Encryption and Key Management subscription bundle.
Zurich	The Platform Encryption subscription bundle is a group commercial entitlement that includes Field Encryption Enterprise and Cloud Encryption. Field Encryption Enterprise is the unlimited license of Field Encryption. The Enterprise plugin is available with the activation of the com.glide.now.platform.encryption plugin. For details, see Encryption and Key Management subscription bundle.

Additional requirements

If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for Encryption Key Management we have noted them here.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	No updates for this release.
Yokohama	No updates for this release.
Zurich	No updates for this release.

Browser requirements

If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for Encryption Key Management we have noted them here.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	No updates for this release.
Yokohama	No updates for this release.
Zurich	No updates for this release.

Accessibility information

Review details on accessibility information for Encryption Key Management, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	No updates for this release.
Yokohama	No updates for this release.
Zurich	No updates for this release.

Localization information

If there are specific localization considerations for Encryption Key Management we have noted them here.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	No updates for this release.
Yokohama	No updates for this release.
Zurich	No updates for this release.

Highlight information

If there are specific highlight considerations for Encryption Key Management we have noted them here.


Release	Release notes
Xanadu	Start using Code Signing's improved activation process. You can use the new Code Signing UI page for a faster, streamlined activation. Administer Column Level Encryption with new Column Level Encryption APIs, roles, and administration features. Column Level Encryption logging has been enhanced for improved readability. Download all encrypted attachments as a zip file by using the new Download All button. See Key Management Framework for more information.
Yokohama	Column Level Encryption has been rebranded and redesigned to now be called Field Encryption. Use Access Observer to help plan for and troubleshoot Field Encryption implementations. Edge Encryption administrators can use the new process to migrate from Edge Encryption to Field Encryption. See Key Management Framework for more information.
Zurich	See the changes to the Key Management and Field Encryption records that are now logged on the Sys Audits [sys_audit] table. The GlideEncrypter API has been updated and now uses AES256-GCM encryption via the Key Management Framework. Enable or disable GlideEncrypter by using the glide.security.glideencrypter.allow system property. See Key Management Framework for more information.