Design and Analysis of ForkAE-Like Ciphers
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by Boise State University.
Abstract
The need for lightweight cryptosystems is on a rise as they are compatible with energy- and memory- constrained network capable devices such as embedded systems and sensor networks. Energy and memory requirements of conventional cryptographic algorithms exceed the capacities of these constrained devices. ForkAE is a lightweight authenticated encryption scheme released in 2019. It is currently a second round candidate in the NIST lightweight authenticated encryption standardization process. Understanding the algebraic structure of a cryptosystem is essential for assuring its security. We develop and study the algebraic properties and cryptanalysis of A-Fork, a simplified and lightweight ternary cryptosystem inspired by ForkAE.
We first present the design of A-Fork by describing how the round functions work. We then analyze A-Fork's algebraic properties by investigating parity of the round functions and the group generated by it. With this insight, we can determine whether A-Fork would be more secure under multiple encryptions or whether A-Fork is a faithful cryptosystem. We developed a computational analysis methodology called blueprint" to analyze A-Fork. We then study the cryptanalysis of A-Fork for perfect secrecy and weak keys. We also determine whether A-Fork is a pure cipher.
Design and Analysis of ForkAE-Like Ciphers
The need for lightweight cryptosystems is on a rise as they are compatible with energy- and memory- constrained network capable devices such as embedded systems and sensor networks. Energy and memory requirements of conventional cryptographic algorithms exceed the capacities of these constrained devices. ForkAE is a lightweight authenticated encryption scheme released in 2019. It is currently a second round candidate in the NIST lightweight authenticated encryption standardization process. Understanding the algebraic structure of a cryptosystem is essential for assuring its security. We develop and study the algebraic properties and cryptanalysis of A-Fork, a simplified and lightweight ternary cryptosystem inspired by ForkAE.
We first present the design of A-Fork by describing how the round functions work. We then analyze A-Fork's algebraic properties by investigating parity of the round functions and the group generated by it. With this insight, we can determine whether A-Fork would be more secure under multiple encryptions or whether A-Fork is a faithful cryptosystem. We developed a computational analysis methodology called blueprint" to analyze A-Fork. We then study the cryptanalysis of A-Fork for perfect secrecy and weak keys. We also determine whether A-Fork is a pure cipher.