block cipher
termcryptography
A cipher that encrypts fixed-size blocks (AES: 128 bits), relying on a mode of operation to handle real message lengths.
The mode is where the security lives or dies: CBC's padding history produced a decade of oracles, while the AEAD modes (GCM, CCM) weld integrity in and are all TLS 1.3 permits. AES is the block cipher of the internet largely because AES-NI silicon makes it fast and constant-time nearly everywhere.
Also known as: block cipher, block ciphers