Encryption stands as one of the key technologies that keep our data safe from prying eyes.
There are many kinds of encryption standards out there today, including AES-128 and AES-256.
But what’s the difference between these two, and which is better?
What Is AES Encryption?
AES uses symmetric encryption, meaningthe same key is used to encrypt and decrypt data.
In the symmetric encryption process, AES uses a block cipher algorithm, which uses fixed-length groups of bits.
Image Credit: Christiaan Colen/Flickr
In encryption terms, bits refer to the length of the key used to encode data.
These operations involve replacing input bits with output bits, as well as bit shuffling.
This can help to increase security integrity and is a key part of AES encryption.
But it’s AES that is most commonly used.
But why is this the case?
What about AES makes it stand out?
A key attribute of AES encryption is its key lengths.
AES encryption isn’t all the same.
There are, in fact, three different types of AES encryption: 128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit.
While the 192-bit standard is rarely used, the 128-bit and 256-bit versions are far more common.
AES is also very mathematically efficient, giving it the edge over other encryption standards.
This, in turn, gives them a number of other, smaller differences.
Both of these encryption types use 128-bit blocks, but AES-256 uses double that of AES-128.
They use similar processes, such as the SPN and key expansion, and are both symmetric.
Which AES Encryption Protocol Is Best?
What’s important to first note here is that neither AES-128 nor AES-256 encryption have ever been cracked.
These are both highly secure encryption protocols, which is why they’re used by governments and cybersecurity companies.
Between AES-128 and AES-256 encryption, the former version is actually more efficient.
In other words, this encryption protocol can be carried out faster and with less system resources.
On top of this, AES-256 generally has higher latency than AES-128.
On top of this, AES-256 encryption would be weak against related-key attacks.
But related-key attacks are currently entirely theoretical, and have therefore never been carried out in a real-world setting.
However, despite these factors, AES-256 is still the safer encryption protocol overall.
Put simply, the encryption key is twice as long, meaning it is much harder to crack.
Because of this, AES-256 encryption ismore resilient against brute-force attackscompared to AES-128.
Both encryption standards would theoretically take an awfully long time to crack.
What’s more, the various AES encryption protocols are considered to be quantum-safe.
However, some disagree with this, and believe that quantum cryptography could make AES encryption crackable.
As quantum cryptography progresses, we may see just how well AES can stand up against real-world quantum attacks.
All in all, both AES-128 and AES-256 encryption are sufficient for data security.
AES encryption is currently impenetrable, with all three different types having maintained their security for over 20 years.
But the latter is still very secure, so you won’t be losing out with either.
