Current application solves the DES Challenge problem (as is stated in its description). So, yes, it is DES and brute-force (exhaustive key search) in accordance with the conditions of the contest.

Obviously, there is no science in it. We use it just to develop our tool, which we see as a template assisting in development of applications for BOINC platform. It will enable us to reduce the time and efforts needed for the development of our next applications. We also plan to make this template tool available on this site as an open source.

Going back to the current application, it clear that the choice of DES Challenge problem is very much debatable (if not controversial). This question was already shortly discussed in this thread. We certainly have plans for the other encryption standards. However, it is too early to announce them here, as we still have some work to do to get the current application and the project itself running stable.

Next, we plan to make an official presentation of our project at university level, what will hopefully give us more ideas and proposals for the next applications. Please note that the cryptography is not formulated as the ultimate topic of the project on its front-page.

I’m sorry for such a long answer to your concrete questions. :-)

Regards,
V.