AES stands for Advanced Encryption System. It is an encryption algorithm used in IT applications to secure sensitive materials. AES was selected in 2001 as an official government security standard, but over time it also became the de facto encryption standard for the private sector. The AES security standard can be applied to restrict access to both hardware and software.
AES functions by the use of a symmetric algorithm (i.e., the same key is used in encryption and decryption), using 128-bit block encryption and supporting key sizes of 128, 192 and 256 bits. It should be noted that while the 192-bit and 256-bit versions are theoretically more difficult to “crack” than AES 128-bit encryption, the difference is really moot in a practical sense.The EE Times points outthat even using a supercomputer, a “brute force” attack would take one billion years to crack AES 128-bit encryption. So the fact that it would take another order of magnitude or two longer to crack AES 256-bit encryption is interesting but of little practical relevance right now.
Idera software products, such asSQL Diagnostic ManagerandSQL Safe, permit you to set theencryption level[AF1] most appropriate for your needs. You set a default encryption level when you install and set up your Idera product, but you can change the encryption level for specific projects at any time. Keep in mind, however, that higher encryption levels typically mean slower job execution speeds.
