Which encryption standard was introduced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for securing government information?

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) was introduced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to secure government information and has become a widely adopted encryption standard globally. AES replaced the older Data Encryption Standard (DES), which was deemed insufficient for modern security needs due to its shorter key lengths and growing vulnerabilities.

NIST initiated the standardization process for AES in the late 1990s, which culminated in its adoption in 2001. AES supports key lengths of 128, 192, and 256 bits, offering enhanced security and efficiency compared to its predecessors. This versatility and strength make AES suitable for a variety of applications beyond government use, including in the private sector and for securing sensitive data across numerous technologies.

The other options, while relevant historical standards or protocols, do not align with the specific designation of AES as the encryption standard established by NIST for securing governmental data. DES and 3DES were previous standards, with DES being phased out due to its vulnerabilities, and RC is a family of ciphers that did not receive the same formal governmental recognition as AES. Therefore, AES is recognized as the current and preferred standard for encryption.