ES encryption is one of the most widely used methods for securing digital data. Here’s a clear breakdown:

🧠 What Is AES?

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric encryption algorithm—meaning the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt data. It was adopted by the U.S. government in 2001 and has since become the gold standard for protecting sensitive data worldwide.

⚙️ Key Features

• Block Cipher: AES operates on fixed-size blocks of data (128 bits).
• Key Lengths: You can choose between 128-bit, 192-bit, or 256-bit keys—longer keys offer stronger security.
• Rounds: Depending on the key length, AES processes data in rounds:
  • 10 rounds for 128-bit keys
  • 12 rounds for 192-bit keys
  • 14 rounds for 256-bit keys

🔄 How It Works (Simplified Steps)

1. Key Expansion: The original key is expanded into multiple round keys.
2. Initial Round: Data goes through a simple transformation using the first round key.
3. Main Rounds (repeated several times):
   • SubBytes: Replace each byte with a substitute using a lookup table.
   • ShiftRows: Rows of the data matrix are shifted.
   • MixColumns: Columns are mixed to spread the data.
   • AddRoundKey: Combine data with the round key using bitwise XOR.
4. Final Round: Like the main rounds but skips the MixColumns step.

🔐 Why It’s Secure

• AES uses complex transformations that are resistant to most types of attacks.
• It’s fast and efficient on both hardware and software platforms.
• Even after decades of analysis, AES remains secure when implemented correctly.