AES instruction set

An AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) instruction set is a set of instructions that are specifically designed to perform AES encryption and decryption operations efficiently. These instructions are typically found in modern processors and can greatly accelerate AES operations compared to software implementations. An AES instruction set includes instructions for key expansion, encryption, and decryption using various key sizes (128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit).

The instruction set is often implemented as a set of instructions that can perform a single round of AES along with a special version for the last round which has a slightly different method.

When AES is implemented as an instruction set instead of as software, it can have improved security, as its side channel attack surface is reduced.^{[citation needed]}