DES (Data Encryption Standard) An encryption standard developed by IBM and adopted by the United States government in 1976 for non-classified applications. DES also was widely used by financial institutions for electronic financial transfers. DES uses a 56-bit key, which subsequently proved to be vulnerable to attack as computer processors increased in speed and cryptanalysis tools became more sophisticated. DES has since been superseded by standards such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Triple DES. See also AES, encryption, security, and Triple DES. |