What Is the Data Encryption Standard?

Data encryption is the process of scrambling strings of plain-text data into unrecognizable values. This is an effective security measure for digital data because it makes the data useless to prying eyes.

The data encryption standard was the first defined standard for digital data encryption. This standard was created in 1976 by the United States government as a way to secure sensitive government information.

Data encryption is a process of transforming plain-text data into a unique set of characters.

Encryption is an automated version of cryptography that creates a secret message for computer data files. This process uses complex encryption algorithms, which are mathematical functions that manipulate data based on defined standards.

An encryption algorithm uses the encryption key to transform the plain-text data into a scrambled format. This key is unique and must also be used for the deciphering process.

The data encryption standard was an early version of digital encryption and required a 56-bit encryption key.

Many legacy computer platforms use the data encryption standard. This encryption algorithm evolved into a triple DES standard version, which was an attempt of creating complex encryption keys while retaining the small 56-bit key.