Learn Cryptography
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
AES is a symmetric encryption algorithm established by NIST in 2001. It uses 128-bit blocks and key sizes of 128, 192, or 256 bits. AES-256 is considered highly secure and is widely used.
- Key Size: 256 bits
- Block Size: 128 bits
- Security: Very High
DES (Data Encryption Standard)
DES is obsolete and insecure. It uses a 56-bit key which is vulnerable to brute-force attacks. Included here for educational purposes only.
- Key Size: 56 bits
- Block Size: 64 bits
- Security: Very Low
RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman)
RSA is an asymmetric algorithm that uses public/private key pairs. It's commonly used for key exchange and digital signatures.
Public Key
Used for encryption; can be shared publicly.
Private Key
Used for decryption; must be kept secret.
Security Best Practices
- Use AES-256 for encrypting sensitive data
- Never reuse keys; generate new keys for each session
- Use HTTPS for transmitting encrypted data
- Store private keys securely (e.g., hardware security modules)
- Use strong passwords and consider password managers