This article turns encryption key management from a technical detail into a strategic security decision for ServiceNow customers. It shows how BYOK delivers practical customer control, HYOK provides maximum sovereignty, and EKMS creates a powerful bridge to external key systems like AWS KMS. The comparison makes clear that each model offers a different tradeoff between usability, compliance, operational effort, and data ownership. Ultimately, the right key strategy is a critical lever for protecting sensitive workflows while meeting today’s toughest regulatory expectations.