The USPTO granted Patent US12591655B2 to Visa International Service Association, inventors Michael Joseph Quinlan, Ajit Gaddam, and Rashmi Krishnan. The patent discloses systems and methods for securing cryptographic keys during use via a key protection service that performs cryptographic operations on behalf of client applications. The service is implemented as a lightweight virtual machine appearing externally as a container, executed in a secured environment, and includes containerized processes supporting an API for client application interaction and an attestation client for external secured key storage communication. The patent contains 18 claims covering H04L cryptographic and key management technologies.

Patent grants do not impose compliance obligations on third parties. Technology companies developing containerized applications, cloud services, or payment processing systems may consider the disclosed key protection architecture for enhanced security of cryptographic operations. Financial institutions and fintech companies handling sensitive data may reference this patent when evaluating container security technologies.