Cryptography
DES (Data Encryption Standard)
Also known as: Data Encryption Standard
Definition
An obsolete 64-bit block cipher with a 56-bit key, standardized by NBS in 1977 and now considered broken because its key space can be exhausted in hours.
Examples
- DES was used in the original Kerberos v4 protocol.
- Early ATM PIN-encryption pads used single DES before migrating to 3DES and AES.
Related terms
Triple DES (3DES)
A legacy block cipher that applies the DES algorithm three times with two or three keys to extend its key length; now retired by NIST and considered obsolete.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
A NIST-standardized 128-bit block cipher with 128-, 192- or 256-bit keys, designed by Daemen and Rijmen and used as the dominant symmetric cipher worldwide.
Block Cipher
A symmetric cipher that encrypts fixed-size blocks of plaintext with a secret key, usually combined with a mode of operation to handle data of arbitrary length.
Symmetric Encryption
An encryption scheme in which the same secret key is used for both encryption and decryption, offering high speed and strong confidentiality when the key is shared securely.
Encryption
The cryptographic transformation of plaintext into ciphertext using an algorithm and key so that only authorized parties can recover the original data.
Brute Force Attack
An attack that systematically tries every possible value — typically passwords, PINs, or keys — until the correct one is found.