3DES is an encryption cipher derived from the original Data Encryption Standard (DES). 3DES was first introduced in 1998, the algorithm is primarily adopted in finance and other private industry to encrypt data-at-rest and data-in-transit. It became prominent in the late nineties but has since fallen out of favor due to the rise of more secure algorithms, such as AES-256 and XChaCha20. Although it will depreciate in 2023, it’s still implemented in some situations.
About Triple DES or 3DES
The Triple DES (often referred to as Data Encryption Algorithm (TDEA)) is specified in SP 800-6711 107 and has two variations, known as two-key TDEA and 108 three-key TDEA. Three-key TDEA is the stronger of the two variations.Below is the status of the 3DES algorithm used for encryption and decryption
Algorithm
Status
Two-key TDEA Encryption
Disallowed
Two-key TDEA Decryption
Legacy use
Three-key TDEA Encryption
Deprecated through 2023Disallowed after 2023
Three-key TDEA Decryption
Legacy use
*Deprecated: you may use but must accept a specific risk
*Disallowed: algorithm or key length not suitable for use anymore
Effective as of the final publication of this revision of SP 800-131A, encryption using three-key TDEA is deprecated through December 31, 2023, using the approved encryption modes. Note that SP 800-67 specifies a restriction on protecting no more than 220 data blocks using the same single key bundle. Three-key TDEA may continue to be used for encryption in existing applications but shall not be used for encryption in new applications. After December 31, 2023, three-key TDEA is disallowed for encryption unless specifically allowed by other NIST guidance. Decryption using three-key TDEA is allowed for legacy use.
How is Triple DES/3DES applied?
Triple DES is a type of encryption that employs three DES instances on the same plaintext. It employs a variety of key selection approaches, including the following:
all utilized keys are different in the first
two keys are the same and one is different in the second
and all keys are the same in the third.
Difference between 3DES and DES
DES is a symmetric-key algorithm that uses the same key for encryption and decryption processes. 3DES was developed as a more secure alternative because of DES’s small key length. 3DES or Triple DES was built upon DES to improve security. In 3DES, the DES algorithm is run three times with three keys; however, it is only considered secure if three separate keys are used.
Triple DES/3DES is not secure?
The Triple Data Encryption Algorithm (TDEA or 3DES) is being officially decommissioned, according to draught guidelines provided by NIST on July 19, 2018. According to the standards, 3DES will be deprecated for all new applications following a period of public deliberation, and its use will be prohibited after 2023.
DES no longer used?
The Data Encryption Standard, also known as DES, is no longer considered secure. While there are no known severe weaknesses in its internals, it is inherently flawed because its 56-bit key is too short. A German court recently declared DES to be “out-of-date and not secure enough,” and held a bank accountable for utilizing it.
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AES replaced DES encryption
One of the primary objectives for the DES replacement algorithm from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was that it be efficient in both software and hardware implementations. (Originally, DES was only practical in hardware implementations.) Performance analysis of the algorithms was carried out using Java and C reference implementations. AES was chosen in an open competition that included 15 candidates from as many research teams as possible from around the world, and the overall amount of resources dedicated to the process was enormous.
Finally, in October 2000, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced Rijndael as the proposed Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
Differences between 3DES and AES encryption?
Both AES and 3DES, often known as triple-DES, are symmetric block ciphers. These are the current data encryption standards. Though the use of 3DES has become increasingly unpopular in recent years. Both have the same goals and objectives, yet there are a lot of similarities between them.
The Data Encryption Standard, also known as DES, is no longer considered secure. While there are no known severe weaknesses in its internals, it is inherently flawed because its 56-bit key is too short.
DES is insecure due to the relatively short 56-bit key size. In January 1999, distributed.net and the Electronic Frontier Foundation collaborated to publicly break a DES key in 22 hours and 15 minutes (see § Chronology).
The triple-layered encryption provides increased security compared to the original DES. 3DES is slower than modern encryption algorithms like AES, impacting processing efficiency. 3DES retains compatibility with existing DES implementations, facilitating gradual transitions.
In 1999, a variation of Triple DES was introduced which uses the same keys for all three passes of the DES (and inverse-DES) algorithm. This is known as the 2-TDES algorithm and uses a key length of 112 bits. The idea behind using three DES passes instead of two is designed to prevent Man in the Middle attacks.
DES no longer used? The Data Encryption Standard, also known as DES, is no longer considered secure. While there are no known severe weaknesses in its internals, it is inherently flawed because its 56-bit key is too short.
A CVE released in 2016, CVE-2016-2183 disclosed a major security vulnerability in DES and 3DES encryption algorithms. This CVE, combined with the inadequate key size of DES and 3DES, led to NIST deprecating DES and 3DES for new applications in 2017, and for all applications by the end of 2023.
When Triple DES is used with three independent keys, sometimes referred to as 3TDEA, it has a key length of 168 bits (3 x 56-bit DES keys = 168 independent key bits). Due to meet-in-the-middle attacks, however, the effective security 3TDEA provides is only 112 bits.
It has multiple vulnerabilities (eg: sweet32 attack, meet-in-the-middle attack, brute-force attack) and it is considered as weak and disallowed by National Institute of Standards and Technology after 2023. Remove the cipher suite from the list of cipher suites supported by your server.
Without a doubt, AES is more secure than 3DES. Its larger key sizes and more sophisticated encryption processes provide a stronger defense against brute-force attacks and cryptographic analysis.
However, Triple DES has a really "small" blocksize with only 64 bits, which led to attack such as Sweet32 against TLS session which allows to break the security of the system thanks to "block collision". This attack led to the removal of Triple DES from the DEFAULT cipher list in the 1.1.
AES data encryption is a more mathematically efficient and elegant cryptographic algorithm, but its main strength rests in the option for various key lengths. AES allows you to choose a 128-bit, 192-bit or 256-bit key, making it exponentially stronger than the 56-bit key of DES.
56-bit DES (called single DES or just DES) was first broken in 56 hours by a special-purpose machine called “EFF DES Cracker” in 1998 by brute force (trying all 2^56 keys). The machine cost EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundations) $200k and was built using 1536 special-purpose chips.
3DES prevents a meet-in-the-middle attack. 3DES has a 168-bit key and enciphers blocks of 64 bits. 3DES effectively has 112-bit security. 3DES can be done with 2 or 3 keys.
During this process the X (56 bit intermediary output) which is the result of first round of encryption / decryption is the weakness of double DES. During the process of encryption and decryption the value of X will always remain the same. Meet-in-the-middle attack targets this intermediary output of X.
Why is DES unsafe? For any cipher, the most basic method of attack is brute force, which involves trying each key until you find the right one. The length of the key determines the number of possible keys -- and hence the feasibility -- of this type of attack.
In cryptography, the EFF DES cracker (nicknamed "Deep Crack") is a machine built by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in 1998, to perform a brute force search of the Data Encryption Standard (DES) cipher's key space – that is, to decrypt an encrypted message by trying every possible key.
AES is more secure than DES because of key size. DES uses a 56 bit key which is vulnerable to cryptanalysis. AES uses either 128, 192, or 256 bit keys. While both algorithms are vulnerable to cyrptanalysis in some shape or form, the key size ensures that brute force won't be what breaks the thing.
The National Institute of Standard and Technology published AES in 2001. Because DES utilises a relatively short cipher key and the algorithm was quite slower, AES was introduced to replace it.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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