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Privacy Glossary

AES-256-GCM

Military-grade encryption standard used by governments worldwide

In Short

Advanced Encryption Standard with 256-bit keys in Galois/Counter Mode - a highly secure authenticated encryption algorithm.

Explained

AES-256-GCM combines the AES block cipher (approved for TOP SECRET by the NSA) with GCM mode which provides both encryption and authentication. The 256-bit key size means there are 2^256 possible keys - more than atoms in the observable universe.

How zkChat Implements This

Every message, file, and voice note in zkChat is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Each encryption uses a unique random IV (initialization vector) ensuring identical messages produce different ciphertext.

Technical Details

zkChat uses the Web Crypto API's native AES-GCM implementation with 256-bit keys and 96-bit IVs, following NIST recommendations.

Related Concepts

End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)

Messages encrypted so only sender and recipient can read them

Encryption Key

The secret that makes your messages unreadable to others

Initialization Vector (IV)

Random data ensuring identical messages encrypt differently

See It In Action

Experience aes-256-gcm firsthand with zkChat.

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Browse All Terms

End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)Zero-Knowledge ArchitectureEphemeral MessagingMetadataForward SecrecyClient-Side EncryptionOne-Time Message (OTM)Web Crypto APIInitialization Vector (IV)Encryption KeyURL FragmentSelf-Destructing MessagesAnonymityOpen Source Software