Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Security+ 🏆 • Cryptography 🔒
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Difficulty: free
Definition
AES is a symmetric block cipher standard (FIPS-197) that encrypts 128-bit blocks using 128/192/256-bit keys. With modern modes like GCM or CCM, it provides confidentiality and integrity for data at rest and in transit.
Examples
- TLS 1.3 uses AES-GCM to protect web traffic with authenticated encryption.
- WPA2/WPA3 Wi-Fi uses AES-CCMP to secure wireless frames.
Discover 🔎
AES is the workhorse of modern cryptography. It’s fast, widely supported in hardware (AES-NI, ARMv8 crypto extensions), and appears in protocols like TLS, IPsec, SSH, and Wi-Fi. AES itself is just the cipher; security depends on the mode of operation and how keys, nonces, and authentication are handled.
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