TripleDES, TDEA or 3DES, is multiple applications of the DES algorithm to plain text data to increase the security of the original DES algorithm. As the name implies, the DES algorithm is applied 3 times. There are two variants of TripleDES: the first is two key; and the second is three key. 2-key TDEA provides approximately 80 bits of security, while 3-key TDEA provides approximately 112 bits of security. In contrast, AES provides a minimum security level of 128.
TripleDES was specified by NIST in May 2004 by SP 800-67. 2-key TDEA is no longer recommended for use in US government information systems. 3-key TDEA and AES are approved, and will coexist as approved algorithms until 2030. See SP 800-57, Part 1.
Note: if your project is using encryption alone to secure your data, encryption alone is usually not enough. Please take a moment to read Authenticated Encryption and understand why you should prefer to use CCM, GCM, or EAX over other modes, such as CBC or CTR.
Sample Programs