DES (Data Encryption Standard) Algorithm: What Is It All About?

Today, the internet plays a huge role in our lives. Our culture is becoming increasingly reliant on an online presence, whether for storing personal information, seeking entertainment, making transactions, or completing our jobs. Because of our increased reliance on the internet, data security is more crucial than ever before.

The stakes have reached an all-time high. Users must have confidence that their personal information is kept private, unaltered, and accessible to authorised readers. There are plenty of cyber security courses and certifications that can help you grasp the fundamentals of data encryption standards. In this article, we will learn what DES is all about.

In the world of cybersecurity, computer networking, and cryptography, we see the elements of safety being the core element. Hence the need for powerful encryptions. Along with paid courses, you can also take free cybersecurity courses to master these skills.

Now let’s learn everything you need to know about Data Encryption Standard.

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What is the DES Algorithm?

The standard was created in the early 1970s by IBM researchers. It was later adopted as an official Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) by the United States National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST) in 1977 for the encryption of commercial and sensitive but unclassified government computer data.

A History of DES Algorithm

DES is based on Horst Feistel's LUCIFER block cipher, which was invented by IBM cryptography specialist Horst Feistel in 1971. DES employs 16 rounds of the Feistel structure, each with a unique key. In November 1976, DES was certified as the official government encryption standard, and it was reaffirmed in the years 1983, 1988, and 1999.

Because DES encrypts and decrypts communications using the same key, both the sender and receiver must know and use the same private key. The more secure Advanced Encryption Standard has supplanted the DES algorithm in cryptography as the standard symmetric key technique for electronic data encryption (AES).

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Triple DES Algorithm

Now let’s understand the Triple DES Algorithm. It's a symmetric key-block encryption that uses three copies of the DES cipher. It encrypts using key one (k1), decodes with key two (k2), and then encodes with key (k3). A two-key variation also exists. Here you have k1 and k3 which are identical.

How is DES used today?

Key lengths and the 3DES and DES algorithms might still be used as old standards. However, employing this antiquated technology and a long key length offers a security risk that will only get worse over time.

DES in cryptography is no longer reliable for encrypting critical data. Before it was deprecated and outlawed, the US government used the standard for electronic money transfer banking transactions. Then the DES algorithm in cryptography became the standard for the finance sector as well as many other sectors.

3DES - In 2023, the NIST guideline for 3DES will be changed to prohibited. The key length and algorithm will no longer be employed for cryptographic security at that moment.

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Cryptographic training - Today, cryptography classes still employ the DES algorithm and different variations. The DES algorithms are well-known, and there is a large body of research on both how successful DES is and how to defeat it. The technology is still used in academics to demonstrate important aspects of digital cryptography, such as:

• Substitution and Permutation of ciphertexts
• Different techniques for applying keys as well as how to find them
• Finding weaknesses in cryptographic algorithms and utilising them.

DES Algorithm Steps

Now let’s understand DES Algorithm Steps. DES is a cryptographic algorithm that converts 64-bit plain text to 64-bit ciphertext. Because we're dealing with asymmetric algorithms, we're using the same key to decode the text.

The following are the steps in the algorithm process:

1. The 64-bit plain text block is given to an initial permutation (IP) function to start the process.

2. Perform the initial permutation (IP) on the plain text.

3. Following that, the initial permutation (IP) divides the permuted block into two halves, known as Right Plain Text (RPT) and Left Plain Text (LPT).

4. Each LPT and RPT goes through 16 rounds of the encryption process.

5. The RPT and LPT are then reunited, and the newly merged block is subjected to a Final Permutation (FP).

6. The result of this process produces the desired 64-bit ciphertext.

Step 4 of the encryption process is divided into five stages:

• Key Transformation
• Expansion permutation
• S-Box permutation
• P-Box permutation
• XOR and swap

We apply the identical procedure for decryption, but the 16 round keys are arranged in reverse order.

DES Modes of Operation

Experts who are using the DES algorithm in cryptography have five modes of operation. Let’s have a look:

• ECB - Electronic Codebook. In this, each 64-bit block is encoded and decoded separately
• OFB - Output Feedback. In this, the encoding algorithm input is the output from earlier previous DES, similar to CFB.
• Cipher Block Chaining (CBC). Each 64-bit block relies on the preceding one and uses an Initialization Vector (IV)
• Counter (CTR). With each plaintext element, an encrypted counter is XORed. The counter is subsequently incremented for each block that follows.
• Cipher Feedback (CFB). The previous ciphertext is fed through the encryption algorithm, which produces pseudorandom output, which is then XORed with plaintext to produce the next ciphertext unit.

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DES Implementation and Testing

A security provider is needed for the implementation of the DES algorithm in cryptography. There are numerous providers to pick from, but deciding which one to use is the first and most important stage in the deployment process. The programming language you use, like Python, Java, C, or MATLAB, may influence your decision.

After you've chosen a provider, you'll need to determine whether you want the KeyGenerator to generate a random secret key for you or if you want to construct your key with a byte array or plaintext. It's also necessary to test the encryption to ensure that it's functioning properly. You can find a testing technique that will work, via the recurrence relation found on GitHub.

Conclusion

Why the need for a Data encryption standard, when it is becoming outdated? Well, you need to start from the basics to become an expert in any niche. DES in cryptography is foundational. So learn this before proceeding to learn advanced encryption techniques. This will help you immensely while applying for jobs in various industries in information technology.

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