title: How should I store a AES Encryption Key?
body: <p>I run a DV 3.5 server on MediaTemple with Linux CentOS 5, php and mysql DB and am trying to encrypt phone records with AES. </p>
  
  <p>I came across what seems to be good script as <a href="http://www.phpaes.com/" rel="nofollow">PHPAES</a> </p>
  
  <p>but I am not sure of the following:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>Where do I actually store the AES
  Encryption key used to encrypt and
  decrypt the phone number?</p></li>
  <li><p>How do I call on the AES encryption
  key when a user submits their data
  via form and stores into our MySQL
  database?</p></li>
  <li><p>When I want to descrypt that information for our internal customer service agents - how do <em>they</em> in turn call on the AES key?</p></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>I realize this is probably very simple but please don't insult. I am trying to learn best practice for how to move forward with any type of encryption whatsoever. Something (to this point) we have not had need for.</p>