The encryption/decryption algorithms vary in complexity and speed and rely on iterative applications of Exclusive OR (XOR) on various combinations of key and data. This range of complexity and speed makes symmetric key algorithms a common choice for providing data privacy and authentication services. Four common algorithms, used by OpenEdge, are:
DES — Data Encryption Standard
DES3 — Triple DES
AES — Advanced Encryption Standard
RC4 — Also known as ARC4
The AES cipher is the current U.S. government standard for all software, and is recognized worldwide.
The DES ciphers are primarily supported for PBE standard that provides the option of generating an encryption key based on a passphrase.
The RC4 is supplied for situations that call for fast encryption, but not strong encryption. RC4 is ideal for situations that require a minimum of encryption.
DES — Data Encryption Standard