AES - Advanced Encryption Standard

Symmetric-Key Algorithm : Vintage - 2001

AES is based on a design principle known as a substitution-permutation network, and is fast in both software and hardware. AES does not use a Feistel network.

High speed and low RAM requirements were criteria of the AES selection process. Thus AES performs well on a wide variety of hardware, from 8-bit smart cards to high-performance computers.

The design and strength of all key lengths of the AES algorithm (i.e., 128, 192 and 256) are sufficient to protect classified information up to the SECRET level. TOP SECRET information will require use of either the 192 or 256 key lengths.

AES has a block size of 128 bits (16 bytes) and three available key lengths of 128, 192, 256 bits.

Give the algorithm a key, and then feed it 16 byte blocks and get back 16 byte blocks.

It works the same way for either encrypt or decrypt.