Authenticated Encryption in .NET with AES-GCM

When using symmetric encryption, you should be favoring authenticated encryption, such as AES-GCM (Galois/Counter Mode), rather than unauthenticated encryption, such as AES-CBC (Cipher Block Chaining). Authenticated encryption provides you with confidentiality and an additional integrity check, allowing you to defend against various attacks based on the chosen-ciphertext attack.