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