What is a recommended practice for MD5 key management when securing BGP sessions?

• A. Use proper key management
• B. Use a single shared key for all peers
• C. Rotate keys every minute
• D. Never rotate keys

Answer: (A)

Key management for MD5 authentication in BGP is about protecting the shared secret that signs each message. The recommended approach is proper key management: give each neighbor its own unique key, store those keys securely, and rotate them on a defined schedule. Keys should be strong, kept secret, and deployed in a coordinated way on both ends, often with a transition period that allows old and new keys to coexist to prevent session drops. Using separate keys per peer limits the blast radius if a key is compromised and makes revoking access easier. Regular rotation reduces the risk from key exposure over time. In contrast, using one key for all peers creates a single point of failure; rotating the key every minute is impractical and risks misalignment; never rotating keys leaves credentials vulnerable for longer.