Triple DES Is Now A Federal Standard.

Following a recommendation from the federal government's National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Secretary of Commerce has revised the Data Encryption Standard, which federal agencies and others use to scramble sensitive information. The revision involves using the DES algorithm in three successive operations, a technique known as Triple DES. The revised standard applies to federal agencies that use encryption to safeguard sensitive, unclassified information. The original version was first approved in 1977 and has since been revised several times. Under the latest revision, agencies buying cryptographic products will be required to purchase equipment that supports the use of Triple DES for new systems. Agencies should also be developing plans to phase out the use of single DES in existing systems. Triple DES, which offers a much higher level of security than single DES, is intended to bridge the gap between DES and the future Advanced Encryption Standard, which is under development by NIST's Information Technology Laboratory. AES is being designed to provide strong cryptographic security well into the 21st century.