12-09-2017, 12:36 PM
Blowfish is a symmetric key block number, designed in 1993 by Bruce Schneier and included in a large number of cipher suites and cipher products. Blowfish provides a good encryption rate in the software and has not yet found any effective cryptanalysis of it. However, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) now receives more attention.
Schneier designed Blowfish as a general purpose algorithm, intended as an alternative to DES aging and free of problems and constraints associated with other algorithms. At the time of Blowfish's release, many other designs were proprietary, patented, or were trade or government secrets. Schneier has stated that, "Blowfish is not patented, and will continue to be in all countries. The algorithm is put in the public domain, and can be freely used by anyone." Noteworthy design features include key-dependent S-boxes and a very complex key program.
Schneier designed Blowfish as a general purpose algorithm, intended as an alternative to DES aging and free of problems and constraints associated with other algorithms. At the time of Blowfish's release, many other designs were proprietary, patented, or were trade or government secrets. Schneier has stated that, "Blowfish is not patented, and will continue to be in all countries. The algorithm is put in the public domain, and can be freely used by anyone." Noteworthy design features include key-dependent S-boxes and a very complex key program.