Kaveo
AES-256 appears in the description of almost every VPN, but what stands behind it is rarely explained. Here it is without maths: what it is, why it is considered strong and what it actually affects.
What AES is
An encryption algorithm adopted as a standard in 2001. It takes a block of data and "shuffles" it by rules that depend on a key. Without the key it cannot be put back together.
The number 256 is the key length in bits. There are 128 and 192 variants too, but 256 became the unofficial norm.
Why 256 bits is a lot
The number of possible keys is two to the power of 256. It is so large that brute force is physically impossible. This is not marketing exaggeration but arithmetic: each extra bit doubles the number of variants.
Who else uses it
AES-256 is used by banks, payment systems, government bodies in various countries, password managers and disk encryption systems. The algorithm is public: cryptographers worldwide have studied it and no practical attack on the full version has been found.
What it does not affect
It is important not to overrate it. AES-256 protects data in the channel so it cannot be read on the way. But it does not solve other tasks:
- it does not hide the fact that you use a VPN
- it does not stop a site from recognising you by account or cookies
- it does not answer what data the service stores: that depends on its policy, not on encryption
So encryption is necessary but not sufficient.
Does it affect speed
Speed depends on the device, implementation and hardware acceleration; compare it on your own system.
If a connection is slow, the cause may lie elsewhere: a distant server, a loaded network or settings.
What to look at in a service description
The mere mention of AES-256 says little. Look at which protocols are used, how the apps work and what exactly the service confirms.
What is known about Kaveo
VolnaLink apps use the VLESS Reality, Trojan and Hysteria 2 protocols; a suitable one is selected automatically. Which ciphers are used in a connection depends on the protocol. This article explains AES-256 as a general standard and does not claim that it is used in every Kaveo connection.
Related reading
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