Cryptography Questions Medium
The International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA) is a symmetric key block cipher that was developed in the early 1990s as a replacement for the aging Data Encryption Standard (DES). It was designed by James Massey and Xuejia Lai and became one of the most widely used encryption algorithms worldwide.
IDEA operates on 64-bit blocks of data and uses a 128-bit key. It employs a series of mathematical operations, including modular arithmetic, bitwise XOR, and substitution-permutation network (SPN) structures, to provide strong encryption and ensure data confidentiality.
One of the key features of IDEA is its resistance to various cryptographic attacks, including differential and linear cryptanalysis. It also offers a good balance between security and computational efficiency, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
IDEA has been widely adopted in various industries, including finance, telecommunications, and secure messaging systems. However, due to the expiration of its patents in 2012, it has been gradually replaced by more modern and advanced encryption algorithms, such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
Overall, IDEA played a significant role in the evolution of cryptography and served as a reliable encryption algorithm for many years, contributing to the secure transmission and storage of sensitive information.