Question 1

What is AES encryption?

Accepted Answer

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher adopted by the U.S. government to protect classified information. It is considered one of the most secure encryption algorithms available and is widely used worldwide for protecting sensitive data. AES operates on fixed block sizes of 128 bits and supports key sizes of 128, 192, or 256 bits.

Question 2

Which AES mode should I use?

Accepted Answer

We recommend AES-GCM (Galois/Counter Mode) for most use cases. AES-GCM provides both encryption and authentication (AEAD), meaning it can detect if the ciphertext has been tampered with. AES-CBC is older and requires separate authentication, while AES-CTR operates as a stream cipher. For general-purpose encryption, GCM offers the best balance of security and performance.

Question 3

What is the IV (Initialization Vector) and why is it important?

Accepted Answer

The IV is a random value used to ensure that encrypting the same plaintext with the same key produces different ciphertext each time. This prevents pattern analysis attacks. The IV is not secret and can be stored alongside the ciphertext, but it must be unique for each encryption operation with the same key. Our tool automatically generates a cryptographically secure random IV.

Question 4

How secure is browser-based encryption?

Accepted Answer

This tool uses the Web Crypto API, which provides cryptographically secure operations directly in your browser. All encryption and decryption happens locally on your device - no data is ever sent to our servers. The Web Crypto API is built into modern browsers and uses the same cryptographic primitives as native applications.

Question 5

What is the salt and why do I need to save it?

Accepted Answer

The salt is a random value used with PBKDF2 to derive your encryption key from your password. Using a salt prevents attackers from using precomputed rainbow tables to crack passwords. You must save the salt along with the IV to decrypt your data later. Both values can be stored safely alongside your ciphertext as they do not reveal your password.

Question 6

What key size should I use?

Accepted Answer

We recommend 256-bit keys for maximum security. While 128-bit AES is still considered secure against brute-force attacks, 256-bit provides a larger security margin and is required for some compliance frameworks. The key is derived from your password using PBKDF2 with 100,000 iterations, so the strength of your password is equally important.

Question 7

Can I encrypt files with this tool?

Accepted Answer

Yes\! This tool supports file encryption up to 10MB. Simply drag and drop a file or click to upload. The file is read into memory and encrypted using your chosen algorithm. The encrypted output can be copied as Base64 or hex. For larger files, consider using dedicated encryption software or our enterprise encryption services.

Pros	Cons
Well-understood and widely supported	Requires random IV for each encryption
Errors don't propagate beyond one block	Cannot be parallelized for encryption
Good for file encryption	Vulnerable to padding oracle attacks if not implemented carefully

Pros	Cons
Authenticated encryption (confidentiality + integrity)	IV/nonce must NEVER be reused with same key
Can be parallelized for high performance	Slightly more complex implementation
Detects tampering automatically	12-byte nonce recommended

Pros	Cons
Fully parallelizable	No built-in authentication
Random access to encrypted data	Nonce reuse is catastrophic
No padding required	Requires separate HMAC for integrity

Mode	Requirement	Consequence of Reuse
CBC	Random IV, 16 bytes	Reveals if messages start the same
GCM	Unique nonce, 12 bytes	Complete security break
CTR	Unique nonce	Complete security break

AES Encryption Tool

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AES Encryption Modes Explained

Understanding AES Encryption Modes

CBC (Cipher Block Chaining)

GCM (Galois/Counter Mode)

CTR (Counter Mode)

Choosing the Right Mode

IV and Nonce Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

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