Blowfish Encryption/Decryption

What is Blowfish Encryption?

Blowfish is a symmetric block cipher designed by Bruce Schneier in 1993. It's a fast, free alternative to existing encryption algorithms and has been widely adopted in various security applications and protocols.

How Blowfish Works

Blowfish encrypts data in 8-byte (64-bit) blocks and supports variable key lengths from 32 bits to 448 bits. The algorithm uses a Feistel network with 16 rounds of cryptographic operations, making it both secure and efficient.

One of Blowfish's unique features is its key setup process, which involves the generation of subkeys derived from the main key. This process can be computationally intensive but only needs to be performed once per key.

Key Features of Our Blowfish Tool

• Support for variable key lengths (128-bit to 448-bit)
• Multiple block cipher modes: CBC, ECB, CFB, OFB, and CTR
• Custom Initialization Vector (IV) support
• Client-side encryption/decryption (your data never leaves your browser)
• Easy-to-use interface with random key generation

Common Use Cases

Blowfish encryption is used in many applications, including:

• Password hashing systems (bcrypt is based on Blowfish)
• File and disk encryption software
• Secure communication protocols
• Database encryption
• Embedded systems where a compact encryption algorithm is needed

Security Considerations

While Blowfish is still considered secure for most applications, there are important factors to consider:

• For maximum security, use the full 448-bit key length
• Avoid ECB mode for encrypting data larger than one block
• Always use a unique IV for each encryption operation when using CBC, CFB, or OFB modes
• Blowfish uses a relatively small 64-bit block size, which may make it vulnerable to birthday attacks in specific scenarios
• For new applications, AES is generally recommended over Blowfish due to its wider adoption and analysis