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Advanced Encryption Guide

Master modern encryption techniques including AES, RSA, and cryptographic best practices for maximum data security

Table of Contents

AES Encryption

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is the most widely used symmetric encryption algorithm. It's fast, secure, and approved by the U.S. government for classified information.

AES Key Sizes

AES-128

128-bit keys, suitable for most applications

AES-192

192-bit keys, enhanced security

AES-256

256-bit keys, maximum security

AES Modes of Operation

CBC (Cipher Block Chaining)

Each block is XORed with the previous ciphertext block before encryption. Requires an initialization vector (IV).

GCM (Galois/Counter Mode)

Provides both encryption and authentication. More secure and efficient than CBC.

CTR (Counter Mode)

Turns AES into a stream cipher. Good for parallel processing and random access.

RSA Encryption

RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) is an asymmetric encryption algorithm that uses two different keys for encryption and decryption.

RSA Key Sizes

RSA-1024

Legacy, not recommended for new applications

RSA-2048

Minimum recommended size for current use

RSA-4096

High security, future-proof

How RSA Works

  1. Generate two large prime numbers (p and q)
  2. Calculate n = p × q (modulus)
  3. Calculate φ(n) = (p-1) × (q-1) (Euler's totient function)
  4. Choose public exponent e (typically 65537)
  5. Calculate private exponent d such that e × d ≡ 1 (mod φ(n))
  6. Public key: (n, e), Private key: (n, d)

Encryption Modes

Different modes of operation provide various security properties and performance characteristics.

ModeSecurityPerformanceUse Case
CBCGoodSequentialGeneral purpose
GCMExcellentParallelHigh security
CTRGoodParallelStreaming data

Key Management

Best Practices

Use Strong Random Keys

Generate keys using cryptographically secure random number generators

Rotate Keys Regularly

Implement key rotation policies to limit exposure time

Secure Storage

Use hardware security modules (HSMs) or encrypted key storage

Access Control

Implement proper access controls and audit logging

Security Best Practices

Do's

  • Use authenticated encryption (AES-GCM)
  • Always use unique IVs for each encryption
  • Validate all inputs before encryption
  • Use proper key derivation functions (PBKDF2, Argon2)

Don'ts

  • Never reuse IVs or nonces
  • Don't use weak random number generators
  • Avoid storing keys in plain text
  • Don't implement your own crypto algorithms

Encryption Tools

Use our specialized encryption tools to implement secure encryption in your applications:

AES Encryptor/Decryptor

Encrypt and decrypt data using AES encryption with multiple modes and key sizes.

Try AES Tool →

RSA Key Generator

Generate secure RSA key pairs for asymmetric encryption and digital signatures.

Try RSA Tool →

Ready to Implement Secure Encryption?

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