{"id":1241,"date":"2019-12-25T13:09:02","date_gmt":"2019-12-25T13:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/?p=1241"},"modified":"2021-10-13T03:16:17","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T03:16:17","slug":"256-bit-encryption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/","title":{"rendered":"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Yes,\nas per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption (AES) is considered\na safe encryption strength. But when we talk about \u201c256 bit encryption,\u201d what\ndoes that term actually mean? Let\u2019s break down what you need to know about 256\nbit encryption and what kind of security it provides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is 256 Bit Encryption?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A 256 bit SSL encryption is a technique that uses 256 bit key to encrypt and decrypt the data transferred between the client and the server. The most modern forms of algorithms and protocols, including SSL and AES, uses 256 bit encryption for generating private and public security keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Encryption\n\u2014 the process of taking plaintext data and using an algorithm (also known as a\ncipher) to scramble it into an unrecognizable form known as a ciphertext \u2014 requires\nthe use of encryption keys, which come in different sizes. So, when we talk\nabout 256 bit encryption strength, it refers to both the length of the\nalgorithm\u2019s key that\u2019s used to encrypt the data and its resistance to attacks. The\nlarger the algorithm key size, the more difficult it is to crack using\nbrute-force attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nthe old days when everything was written on paper, this required converting\nletters into something else. But when it comes to digital information \u2014 or any\ndata stored on computers \u2014 these letters are stored in terms of binary digits,\nor \u201cbits\u201d of data, meaning 0s an 1s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\nmight have seen \u201c256-bit encryption\u201d in any SSL\/TLS certificate\u2019s description. What\nthis means is that it requires 2<sup>256<\/sup> &nbsp;different number combinations. That means it\nhas about 115,792,089,237,316,195,423,570,985,008,687,907,853,269,984,665,640,564,039,457,584,007,913,129,639,936\npossible combinations that you\u2019d have to go through and start guessing one by\none!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To\ndecrypt a ciphertext that\u2019s encrypted with 256 bit encryption without the\ncorresponding private key, it would take 3.31 x 10<sup>56<\/sup>\nyears!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Secure 256 Bit SSL Encryption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A secure 256 bit encryption technology is used to secure online communication between two nodes by encrypting the data with a 256 bit long key. Modern encryption protocols, including SSL\/TLS and AES, use 256 bit encryption for building a secured communication channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Uses of 256 Bit Encryption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering\nthat 256 bit encryption is considered the industry standard, it\u2019s used in a lot\nof different ways. Some of the most common uses of 256-bit encryption are as\nfollows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>To\ngenerate symmetric session keys by browsers to start a secure SSL\/TLS\nconnection.<\/li><li>To\nencrypt data in transit between a browser and a server.<\/li><li>To\nencrypt data stored in an email to provide data at rest protection (if an email\nsigning certificate is used).<\/li><li>To\nencrypt the stored data on third-party cloud platforms like AWS, Google Drive,\nDropbox, etc.<\/li><li>To\nencrypt the sensitive data owned by the government and military. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"graysection\">\n\n<a class=\"greenbutton\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/what-is-an-s-mime-certificate\/\">What Is an S\/MIME Certificate and How Does It Work? <\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How 256 Bit SSL Encryption Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It shows the length of\nthe &nbsp;encryption key. The data transferred\nbetween a users\u2019 browser and the &nbsp;server of\nthe website they\u2019re visiting is encrypted using 256 bit encryption keys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>When a user tries to access a website, the user&#8217;s browser selects the strongest encryption algorithm available between itself and server to create a random session key. 256-bit is the industry\u2019s standard level of encryption strength and is what\u2019s used to make the session key. The session key will used to encrypt and decrypt the data.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The session key is\nencrypted using the website&#8217;s SSL certificate&#8217;s public key. The session key is\nencrypted using the 2048-bit key and sent to the website&#8217;s server.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The server must\npossess the corresponding private key to decrypt the session key.&nbsp; <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Once the server\ndecrypts the session key and gets access to it, the secure SSL connection\nstarts between the browser and the server.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Now, all the data in\ntransit between the server and browser is encrypted and decrypted using the\nsame session key. Session keys are symmetric i.e.; the same key is shared\nbetween a browser and server for that particular session. This key expires as\nsoon as the session expires.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>256-bit encryption is one of the most secure technologies of the modern age that uses a 256-bit long key to encrypt and decrypt the data transferred between the server and the client. Security protocols, including AES and TLS\/SSL, uses 256-bit encryption to generate private and public keys as a part of public key infrastructure (PKI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All SSL\/TLS certificates offer the same level of encryption regardless of brand, cost, or validation level. None of those things factor into the encryption strength. This means that a $10 domain validated (DV) SSL certificate offers the same encryption as a more expensive extended validation (EV) certificate. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The encryption strength you achieve with an SSL\/TLS protocol depends on capabilities of the browser and server in question and how they\u2019re configured. In some cases, 256 bit encryption may only provide a security level of 128 bits. So, if your server and the client\u2019s browser are properly configured and capable of handling 256 bit encryption, then you can relax with the knowledge that any information passing between the two is as secure as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"graysection\">\n<h2>Save 79% on SSL Security Certificates!<\/h2>\n<p>Get the lowest prices on trusted SSL certificates from Sectigo.<\/p>\n<a class=\"greenbutton\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\">Shop Now<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Encryption Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/hashing-vs-encryption-the-big-players-of-the-cyber-security-world\/\" target=\"_blank\">Hashing vs Encryption \u2014 The Big Players of the Cyber Security World<\/a><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-encryption-and-how-does-it-work\/\" target=\"_blank\">What Is Encryption and How Does It Work?<\/a><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/5-differences-between-symmetric-vs-asymmetric-encryption\/\" target=\"_blank\">Symmetric vs Asymmetric Encryption &#8211; 5 Things You Should Know<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/ssl-vs-tls-decoding-the-difference-between-ssl-and-tls\/\">SSL vs TLS: Decoding the Difference Between SSL and TLS<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"graysection\">\n\n<a class=\"greenbutton\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-doxxing-5-examples-of-doxxing-and-how-to-prevent-it\/\">What Is Doxxing? 5 Examples of Doxxing and How to Prevent It<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, as per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption (AES) is considered a safe encryption strength. But when we talk about \u201c256 bit encryption,\u201d what does that term actually mean? Let\u2019s break down what you need to know about 256 bit encryption and what kind of security it provides. What is 256 Bit Encryption? A 256 bit SSL encryption is a technique that uses 256 bit key to encrypt and decrypt the data transferred between the client and the server. The most modern forms of algorithms and protocols, including <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,3,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advance-ssl","category-compare-ssl-certificates","category-iot"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe? - SectigoStore<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Yes, as per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption is considered a safe encryption strength. But what does \u201c256 bit encryption&quot; term mean?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe? - SectigoStore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yes, as per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption is considered a safe encryption strength. But what does \u201c256 bit encryption&quot; term mean?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SectigoStore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sectigostore\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-25T13:09:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-10-13T03:16:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"sectigostorepages\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sectigostore\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sectigostore\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"sectigostorepages\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"sectigostorepages\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f38f303abd42ade13a74a5d3c12b1cec\"},\"headline\":\"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe?\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-25T13:09:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-13T03:16:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":925,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"Advanced SSL\",\"Compare SSL Certificates\",\"IoT\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/\",\"name\":\"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe? - SectigoStore\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-25T13:09:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-13T03:16:17+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f38f303abd42ade13a74a5d3c12b1cec\"},\"description\":\"Yes, as per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption is considered a safe encryption strength. But what does \u201c256 bit encryption\\\" term mean?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/256-bit-encryption\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"SSL Resources\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Advanced SSL\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/advance-ssl\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/\",\"name\":\"SectigoStore\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f38f303abd42ade13a74a5d3c12b1cec\",\"name\":\"sectigostorepages\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/78239165ecb118435d2709ba4dd124dd9151b1f6b069f87258c6514fe3728c7e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/78239165ecb118435d2709ba4dd124dd9151b1f6b069f87258c6514fe3728c7e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/78239165ecb118435d2709ba4dd124dd9151b1f6b069f87258c6514fe3728c7e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"sectigostorepages\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sectigostore.com\\\/page\\\/author\\\/sectigostorepages\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe? - SectigoStore","description":"Yes, as per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption is considered a safe encryption strength. But what does \u201c256 bit encryption\" term mean?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe? - SectigoStore","og_description":"Yes, as per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption is considered a safe encryption strength. But what does \u201c256 bit encryption\" term mean?","og_url":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/","og_site_name":"SectigoStore","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sectigostore\/","article_published_time":"2019-12-25T13:09:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-10-13T03:16:17+00:00","author":"sectigostorepages","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@sectigostore","twitter_site":"@sectigostore","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"sectigostorepages","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/"},"author":{"name":"sectigostorepages","@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/#\/schema\/person\/f38f303abd42ade13a74a5d3c12b1cec"},"headline":"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe?","datePublished":"2019-12-25T13:09:02+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-13T03:16:17+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/"},"wordCount":925,"commentCount":0,"articleSection":["Advanced SSL","Compare SSL Certificates","IoT"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/","url":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/","name":"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe? - SectigoStore","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-12-25T13:09:02+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-13T03:16:17+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/#\/schema\/person\/f38f303abd42ade13a74a5d3c12b1cec"},"description":"Yes, as per current technology standards, 256 bit SSL encryption is considered a safe encryption strength. But what does \u201c256 bit encryption\" term mean?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/256-bit-encryption\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"SSL Resources","item":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Advanced SSL","item":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/advance-ssl\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"256 Bit Encryption: Is 256 Bit Encryption Safe?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/","name":"SectigoStore","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/#\/schema\/person\/f38f303abd42ade13a74a5d3c12b1cec","name":"sectigostorepages","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/78239165ecb118435d2709ba4dd124dd9151b1f6b069f87258c6514fe3728c7e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/78239165ecb118435d2709ba4dd124dd9151b1f6b069f87258c6514fe3728c7e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/78239165ecb118435d2709ba4dd124dd9151b1f6b069f87258c6514fe3728c7e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"sectigostorepages"},"url":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/author\/sectigostorepages\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}