AES-128 vs. AES-256 Encryption: What’s the Difference?
Encryption stands as one of the key technologies that keep our data safe from prying eyes. There are many kinds of encryption standards out there today, including AES-128 and AES-256. But what’s the difference between these two, and which is better?
What Is AES Encryption?
AES, or Advanced Encryption Standard, was released in late 2001, and was adopted by the U.S federal government in May 2002. AES encryption is also known as Rijndael, but this is its less common name.
AES uses symmetric encryption, meaningthe same key is used to encrypt and decrypt data. In the symmetric encryption process, AES uses a block cipher algorithm, which uses fixed-length groups of bits. In encryption terms, bits refer to the length of the key used to encode data.
AES also uses a substitution-permutation network (SPN) which involves a number of interlinking mathematical operations that come together to make block cipher algorithms work. These operations involve replacing input bits with output bits, as well as bit shuffling. This process won’t be delved into deeply today, but it’s worth remembering its role in AES encryption.
AES also uses key expansion, a process in which the initial key (or master key) is expanded to a number of separate keys, known as round keys. This can help to increase security integrity and is a key part of AES encryption.
There are many other kinds of symmetric encryption standards out there, including DES, 3DES, TEA, Blowfish, and RC6. But it’s AES that is most commonly used.
When you hear privacy and security services, such as VPN providers, state that they use “military grade” encryption, AES is usually what they’re talking about (however, some VPN services use 128-bit encryption,such as Zoog’s free VPN). In fact, numerous technology-based companies use AES encryption, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, and many more. But why is this the case? What about AES makes it stand out?
A key attribute of AES encryption is its key lengths. AES encryption isn’t all the same. There are, in fact, three different types of AES encryption: 128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit. While the 192-bit standard is rarely used, the 128-bit and 256-bit versions are far more common. In any case, having a selection of key lengths is a big plus, as it gives people the choice of their encryption measures. AES is also very mathematically efficient, giving it the edge over other encryption standards.
The Differences and Similarities of AES-128 and AES-256 Encryption
AES-128 and AES-256 encryption have one key difference: the former uses a 128-bit key, whilethe latter uses a 256-bit key. This, in turn, gives them a number of other, smaller differences.
Both of these encryption types use 128-bit blocks, but AES-256 uses double that of AES-128. On top of this, while AES-128 uses 10 rounds of processing to create keys, AES-256 uses 14 rounds.
Overall, AES-128 and AES-256 encryption are pretty similar in how they function, and have very similar encryption algorithms. They use similar processes, such as the SPN and key expansion, and are both symmetric.
Which AES Encryption Protocol Is Best?
What’s important to first note here is that neither AES-128 nor AES-256 encryption have ever been cracked. These are both highly secure encryption protocols, which is why they’re used by governments and cybersecurity companies.
While it’s easy to assume that AES-256 encryption is the superior protocol due to its increased key length, this isn’t entirely the case. Yes, a longer encryption key makes the coded data harder to crack, there are other factors to consider here, such as efficiency.
Between AES-128 and AES-256 encryption, the former version is actually more efficient. In other words, this encryption protocol can be carried out faster and with less system resources. In fact, it was reported in anN-ABLE blog postthat AES-256 encryption uses 40% more system resources than AES-128. So, using AES-256 encryption can put more strain on hardware and software components, possibly causing a quicker drain of device battery.
On top of this, AES-256 generally has higher latency than AES-128. This isn’t to say that AES-256 has very high latency, but there is a difference between the two that should be noted.
On top of this, AES-256 encryption would be weak against related-key attacks. A related-key attack involves the attacker monitoring the behavior of a cipher to highlight a relationship between numerous keys, so that the keys can be found for decryption. But related-key attacks are currently entirely theoretical, and have therefore never been carried out in a real-world setting.
However, despite these factors, AES-256 is still the safer encryption protocol overall. Why? Put simply, the encryption key is twice as long, meaning it is much harder to crack. Additionally, the increased key length gives way to a higher number of processing rounds, which can also lower the chance of successful attacks. Because of this, AES-256 encryption ismore resilient against brute-force attackscompared to AES-128.
Both encryption standards would theoretically take an awfully long time to crack. It was reported byIDERAthat AES-128 encryption would take a billion years to crack, whileSCRAMBOXreported that AES-256 would take trillions of years.
Since the time period for cracking either option is extremely long, there’s not much to worry about regardless of which one you choose.
What’s more, the various AES encryption protocols are considered to be quantum-safe. The rise of quantum computing,namely quantum cryptography, has called into question the integrity of today’s top encryption standards, including AES. However, it has been found that the AES encryption cipher can increase its key size in the event of a quantum-based attack, therefore making it resistant.
However, some disagree with this, and believe that quantum cryptography could make AES encryption crackable. As quantum cryptography progresses, we may see just how well AES can stand up against real-world quantum attacks.
All in all, both AES-128 and AES-256 encryption are sufficient for data security. AES encryption is currently impenetrable, with all three different types having maintained their security for over 20 years. In general, the reason people tend to assume that AES-256 is far superior to AES-128 is the fact that it uses a longer key length. But the latter is still very secure, so you won’t be losing out with either.
The AES Encryption Standard Remains a Top Choice
Regardless of whether you’re using AES-128 or AES-256 encryption, your data will be adequately secured. The AES encryption standard remains impenetrable across the board, so you can choose 128-bit or 256-bit encryption and still get an incredibly high level of security.
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