DES (Data Encryption Standard) is a symmetric cipher defined in Federal Information Processing (FIPS) Standard Number 46 in 1977 as the federal government approved encryption algorithm for sensitive but non-classified information.

DES was developed by IBM and was based upon IBM’s earlier Lucifer cipher.

DES utilizes a 56-bit key. This key size is vulnerable to a brute force attack using current technology.

Triple DES

A variant of DES, Triple DES, provides significantly enhanced security by executing the core DES algorithm three times in a row. The has the effect of making the DES encryption much more difficult to brute force. Triple-DES is estimated to be 2 to the 56th times more difficult to break than DES. Triple DES can still be considered a secure encryption algorithm. Triple DES is also written as 3-DES or 3DES.

DES and AES

DES is being replaced by AES, the Advanced Encryption Standard.

DES and Triple-DES will remain in service for many decades.