What type of algorithm is AES?

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is classified as a symmetric encryption algorithm. This type of algorithm utilizes the same key for both the encryption and decryption processes, meaning that both the sender and the receiver must have access to the key to securely communicate. This characteristic is fundamental to symmetric encryption, as it allows for fast processing and efficiency in encrypting large amounts of data.

In contrast, asymmetric encryption algorithms, such as RSA, use a key pair – a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. Therefore, it's less suitable for high-speed applications and larger data volumes compared to symmetric encryption.

Hashing algorithms serve a different purpose altogether, as they are designed to generate a fixed-size output (the hash) from an input of varied size. Hashes are commonly used for data integrity verification rather than encryption.

Data compression algorithms, on the other hand, are focused on reducing the size of files for storage or transmission purposes, not for securing data.

Understanding these distinctions highlights why AES is correctly categorized as a symmetric encryption algorithm, emphasizing its role in secure data transmission.