The AES algorithm is a cryptographic algorithm used for encrypting messages. It was chosen in 2000 after an international competition to replace the DES algorithm. The Rijndael algorithm was chosen and named after its developers. AES is used for sensitive documents and in various security protocols.
When it comes to computer security, the term algorithm is used differently than in mathematics, for example, where it refers to a systematic methodology for solving problems in a particular context. In computer security, it refers to a cryptographic algorithm, which is a sequence of procedures or rules to be followed in encrypting messages. Algorithms can be simpler or more complex, and more complex ones are harder to crack. AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard and the AES algorithm is another name for the Rijndael algorithm, which was chosen for use in the AES standard.
Rijndael’s algorithm was chosen in an international competition to be included in AES. When it came time to think about replacing the Data Encryption Standard (DES) — which had a key size of only 55 bits and was thought to be slow and processor-intensive — the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invited cryptographers work out an advanced algorithm on which to base AES, i.e. develop the AES algorithm. The call was made in 1997 and the 21 proposals developed by teams from 11 countries were considered. In 2000, the Rijndael algorithm was chosen as the AES algorithm, which is why AES is sometimes called the AES (Rijndael) algorithm.
Rijndael — variously pronounced as /RAIN dahl/ or /RINE dahl/ — was named by combining parts of the names of the two developers, Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen. The algorithm was based on a previous algorithm they developed together called Square. The new AES algorithm is a block algorithm, with data processed in 128-bit blocks. But while the keys for DES were only 56 bits, those for Rijndael could be 128, 192 or 256 bits. However, there have been some concerns about the security of the new algorithm and attempts to crack it are underway.
The AES algorithm was chosen by the US government for sensitive unclassified documents in 2000. In 2003, AES was adopted by the New European Schemes for Signatures, Integrity and Encryption (NESSIE) consortium. Also in 2003, the National Security Agency (NSA) decided to use higher bit keys than AES for top secret documents. The Internet Key Exchange (IKE) also uses the AES algorithm to transmit the secret key to the recipient for message decryption. AES is also used in Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), a security protocol for authentication and encryption on the web.
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