The DES algorithm is widely used in the present. It is used in the encryption of data transmission, storage, and authentication. Although it was first developed in the 1970s but it has served as a foundation for many modern encryption algorithms and is considered secure enough to secure payment card transactions and banking transactions.
When using DES encryption, the process begins by transforming the plaintext 64 bits by using a series of steps which include initial permutations and rounds of operations. The final permutation is then performed. Each step alters bits by changing them in different ways, causing confusion and a spread that makes it more difficult for hackers to crack ciphers.
In the first stage, a function called Initial Permutation or IP my explanation moves the bits in the block into two permuted parts known as Left Plain Text (LPT) and Right Plain Text (RPT). This change alters the sequence of the original 64-bit plain text, making it more difficult to crack.
After this after that, the RPT and LPT are merged and run through 16 rounds of DES operations. The final result is the same as the original procedure however reversed.
This makes the encryption hard to break. It’s also faster in hardware than it is in software and this is a major advantage for certain applications in which the encryption needs to happen in real-time. Although theoretical attacks on DES have been attempted however the most efficient attack was an attack using brute force that required enormous computing power and still took too long to complete.