How many rounds are used in AES encryption?

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is designed to secure data through a symmetric key encryption process that varies the number of rounds based on the length of the encryption key used. Specifically, there are three key lengths associated with AES: 128 bits, 192 bits, and 256 bits.

For a 128-bit key, AES uses 10 rounds of transformation on the plaintext data. For a 192-bit key, the number of rounds increases to 12. Lastly, for a 256-bit key, the number of rounds is set at 14. This structure ensures that data is sufficiently scrambled and secure, as the number of rounds directly impacts the algorithm's resistance to cryptanalysis, making it more complex for attackers to derive the original data.

Thus, the answer indicating 10, 12, or 14 rounds aligns perfectly with the established standards and is fundamental for understanding how AES varies in complexity relative to key length.