Triple DES Encryption

Triple DES encryption online

Triple DES, also called 3DES or TDEA, applies the DES operation three times in an encrypt-decrypt-encrypt sequence. It retains DES’s 64-bit block size and supports two-key and three-key configurations. NIST withdrew SP 800-67 on January 1, 2024, making TDEA no longer an approved block cipher for new protection.

How to use this tool

Choose text, a local file, or URL content. Select the two-key or three-key variant, mode, padding, and input encoding, then enter raw key material or configure passphrase derivation. Supply the required IV and salt settings, encrypt, and copy or download the Hex or Base64 result.

Matching cipher parameters

The key-size option, component keys, mode, padding, IV, and derivation settings must match the receiving system or Triple DES decryption. Hex and Base64 only encode ciphertext bytes. Salt is used in passphrase derivation and is separate from the mode’s IV.

Use the standalone PBKDF2 or EvpKDF tools when you need to inspect derived bytes separately. This Triple DES tool derives enough material for the selected two-key or three-key configuration and mode IV when passphrase mode is selected.

Security warning

Triple DES is for legacy interoperability and data recovery, not new encryption. Its small block size and retired security status make AES encryption the appropriate choice when compatibility permits. These configurations also provide confidentiality without an authentication tag.

Frequently asked questions

Why can I not decrypt the result elsewhere?

Check whether the source uses two-key or three-key TDEA, then compare key bytes, key order, mode, padding, IV, and encodings. For passphrases, also match the KDF, hash, salt, iterations, and derived-key size.

Does encryption detect tampering?

No. Triple DES alone does not authenticate ciphertext. An application needs a correctly designed authentication mechanism to detect modification.