Applying error correction codes to achieve security and dependability

Abstract

We apply Linear Error Correction (LEC) code to a novel encoding scheme to assure two fundamental requirements for transmission channels and storage units: security and dependability. Our design has the capacity to adapt itself to different applications and their various characteristics such as availability, error rate, and vulnerabilities. Based on simple logic operations, our scheme affords fast encryption, scalability (dual or more column erasures), and flexibility (LEC encoder employed as a front end to any conventional compression scheme). Performance results are very promising: Experiments on dual erasures outperform conventional compression algorithms including Arithmetic Coding, Huffman, and LZ77.