A Lightweight Hybrid Cryptographic Algorithm for WSNs Tested by the Diehard Tests and the Raspberry Pi

Abstract

Cryptographic techniques are crucial in ensuring the security of Wireless Sensor Networks data to limit the effect of such offensive operations. As a consequence, many cryptographic techniques are used to assure network security. Cryptography makes use of two techniques: symmetric-key and asymmetric-key cryptography. However, specific concerns remain. In this paper, a hybrid security algorithm is proposed. It provides both high security and fast encryption and decryption processes by using symmetric-key and asymmetric-key techniques. In addition, it provides three cryptographic primitives: confidentiality, authentication, and integrity. The concept is to encrypt using Blowfish, Rivest Cipher 4, and the Advanced Encryption Standard. Message Digest 5 is used for integrity, and Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman is used for authentication. Two computers and a Raspberry Pi test the proposed algorithm's performance. The proposed algorithm exceeds numerous current algorithms in ciphertext size, encryption time, decryption time, and throughput. Using a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and a plaintext size of 184,162 bytes, the proposed algorithm achieved a 37% reduction in ciphertext size, a 90.5% reduction in encryption time, a 62.7% reduction in decryption time, and a 1052% increase in throughput compared to previously published works.