A programmable data encryption engine for performing the cipher function of an advanced encryption standard (AES) algorithm includes a parallel look-up table system responsive in a first mode to a first data block for implementing an AES selection function and executing the multiplicative inverse in GF.sup.-1(2.sup.8) and applying an affine over GF(2) transformation to obtain a subbyte transformation and in a second mode to the subbyte transformation to transform the subbyte transformation to obtain a shift row transformation, and a Galois field multiplier for transforming the shift row transformation to obtain a mix column transformation and add a round key resulting in an advanced encryption standard cipher function of the first data block.