Data Encryption Standard (DES)

A U.S. Government-approved, symmetric cipher, encryption algorithm used by business and civilian government agencies. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is designed to replace DES. The original single DES algorithm is no longer secure because it is now possible to try every possible key with special purpose equipment or a high performance cluster. Triple DES (see glossary entry below), however, is still considered to be secure.

[A] cryptographic algorithm for the protection of unclassified computer data and published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 46-1. [INFOSEC-99] Note: DES is not approved for protection of national security classified information.