Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CEH Practice Questions and Study Guide.

Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) enhances the original Data Encryption Standard (DES) by applying the DES algorithm three times to each data block. While the original DES used a 56-bit key, 3DES effectively increases the key length by utilizing three separate 56-bit keys. This results in a total key length of 168 bits (3 x 56 = 168) when all three keys are utilized independently.

3DES was designed to provide a more secure method of encryption compared to its predecessor by leveraging the processing power available and by making brute-force attacks significantly more difficult due to the increased key complexity. Thus, the 168-bit key length is a defining characteristic of 3DES, making it substantially stronger than DES alone.