AES Encryption

Secure text encryption with AES-256-GCM

What is AES Encryption?

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is the most widely used symmetric encryption algorithm worldwide. It was adopted as a standard by the US government in 2001 and is used for security in military, financial, and commercial applications. AES-256-GCM provides maximum security with 256-bit key length and Galois/Counter Mode.

AES-256-GCM Features

  • 256-bit Key: Nearly impossible to break with 2^256 possible combinations
  • GCM Mode: Authenticated encryption with data integrity guarantee
  • Fast Processing: Hardware acceleration support in modern processors
  • Industry Standard: Approved by NSA for TOP SECRET data
  • Symmetric Encryption: Same key for encryption and decryption

AES Use Cases

  • Encryption of sensitive documents and files
  • Database encryption and data protection
  • VPN and secure communication protocols
  • Disk and file system encryption (BitLocker, FileVault)
  • Wi-Fi security (WPA2, WPA3)
  • Cloud storage encryption

Secure Password Creation Tips

  • Use passwords at least 16 characters long
  • Use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters
  • Avoid dictionary words
  • Don't use personal information (birth date, name)
  • Use different passwords for each service
  • Use a password manager to generate strong passwords

What are IV and Salt?

IV (Initialization Vector): A randomly generated value for each encryption operation. When the same text is encrypted with different IVs, it produces different results, preventing pattern analysis.

Salt: A random value used to derive cryptographic keys from your password. It prevents rainbow table attacks and ensures the same password produces different keys.

AES vs RSA: What's the Difference?

AES uses symmetric encryption (same key for encryption and decryption), while RSA uses asymmetric encryption (public and private key pair). AES is much faster and ideal for large data encryption. RSA is typically used for key exchange and digital signatures. In practice, the AES key is encrypted with RSA, then data is encrypted with AES (hybrid encryption).