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PCI Security validated: PABP Validated by Trustwave and accepted by Visa USA. Validated Payment Applications (PDF)

Has built-in www.nist.gov

National Institute of Standards and Technology Validated DES (Data Encryption Standard) TDES encryption module created specifically for TransactionX by Bokler Software Corporation. NIST DES Validation List. View DES history.

The Data Encryption Standard (DES) and triple-DES algorithms are symmetric or secret key algorithms. This means that the key value used to encrypt the data is also required to decrypt the data. Asymmetric or public key algorithms on the other hand use a key pair; one key is used to encrypt, the other to decrypt. Due to its computational overhead public key algorithms have been relegated to use in key exchange and digital signature applications. Bulk data encryption (anything more than a few hundred bits) is the exclusive domain of symmetric algorithms such as DES and triple-DES.

DES is the product of a program initiated at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), now called the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in 1972. The purpose of this program was to develop a single cryptographic standard to protect data during storage and transmission. It was reasoned that a single standard would greatly facilitate interoperability of cryptographic systems, and lend itself to establishment of a testing and certification process. Requirements were formulated, solutions were solicited, and after some time the NBS selected an algorithm submitted by IBM. This algorithm was derived from one developed by IBM several years earlier called LUCIFER. Following a lengthy review process, in November 1976 this algorithm was adopted as the Federal standard for data encryption. It was described in a document called Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 46 (FIPS PUB 46), published shortly after its adoption as the DES.

Today DES is the most widely deployed cryptographic algorithm in the world. Since its adoption by the NIST, DES has also been adopted by a number of other standards bodies for a variety of security applications. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved DES as a private sector standard (ANSI X3.92) in 1981; since then it has been widely deployed in many secure commercial systems.

Standards bodies representing the banking and finance industry adopted DES or standards based on DES. Two groups within ANSI, the American Bankers Association, and the Financial Standards Group of the International Standards Organization (ISO), adopted DES for securing both retail and wholesale financial transactions. In addition, passage of the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-235) effectively required all agencies of the Federal Government to use DES to protect sensitive information stored on computer systems.

Popularity of the DES continues today as evidenced by the fact that it is still being specified in a variety of applications requiring secure communications, electronic commerce, and data privacy. Confidence in DES is inspired by the absence of any findings indicative of any algorithmic weaknesses in its 20-plus year track record. No other cryptographic algorithm in common use today can substantiate this level of security.

Despite the strength of the DES algorithm, advances in computer technology continue to reduce the cost of brute-force searches of its 56-bit keyspace. To address this issue the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under the aegis of the American Banking Association has developed the X9.52 standard - the Triple Data Encryption Algorithm (TDEA), also known as triple-DES. ANSI X9.52 specifies three rounds of DES operations to effectively increase the keylength to 168 bits. Triple-DES is not a new concept, but ANSI X9.52 codifies its practice by defining a specific set of modes for its implementation.

The TDEA was not designed to replace DES, but to extend its lifetime, greatly increase its security, and leverage investments in the technology. It utilizes the same 64-bit block size as used in DES, and preserves its four modes of operation. TDEA employs three invocations (or rounds) of DES as follows:

1. DES-encrypt block with key value K1

2. DES-decrypt block with key value K2

3. DES-encrypt block with key value K3

By taking advantage of the well-established security of the DES algorithm, and extending its key length through multiple rounds of encryption TDEA has become the strongest encryption algorithm available to the public.

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