Strict Avalanche Criterion Research Articles

Improvements in the randomness and security of digital currency using the photon sponge hash function through Maiorana–McFarland S-box replacement

Abstract There is a demand for a digital currency that facilitates remote trading over the Internet and strives to reduce external control, ensuring that transactions are conducted only between authorized persons or parties involved in the transfer. The financial sector has been significantly impacted by cryptocurrency, or digital currency, which brings new potential and challenges. The concept of digital currency is thoroughly examined, as are its complicated implications on various aspects of the economy. Trading digital currencies via the Internet may be vulnerable to theft and forgery due to the development of hacker programs. Therefore, we proposed to design a new digital currency and then built a 16 × 16 structure and filled the matrix with random numbers within GF(251). We used the random algorithm (Chun–Hui He’s iteration), then generated four directions, and used polynomial equations for the purpose of distributing powers between the parties in our future complete system. The original matrix was encoded with the photon sponge hash function after updating the S box by integrating the algorithms (Chun–Hui He’s iteration, Mariorana–McFarland method), and the results were good security measures (correlation coefficient, bijective property, balanced criteria, completeness criteria, and strict avalanche criteria) as well as the encryption and decryption time became faster (0.0005202). The major objective is to design a new digital currency system toward achieving security, scalability, and comprehensive adoption, looking into how it might improve security, promote financial inclusion, and change the present payment systems.

Design and implementation of dynamic s-boxes based on non-degenerate discrete chaotic systems

In recent years, digital chaotic systems have received considerable attention in the field of secure communications. However, during the digitalization of the system, the original properties of the chaotic system may change, resulting in the degradation of the dynamics. To address this problem, this paper designs a novel simplicial non-degenerate discrete chaotic system based on the inverse hyperbolic tangent function, and selects a three-dimensional discrete system as the object of analysis. Through the research conducted, it is found that the chaotic system exhibits high Lyapunov exponents under certain conditions. Furthermore, the excellent randomness of the system has been further validated by NIST SP800–22 tests. At the same time, this paper also proposes a dynamic S-box construction method based on the chaotic sequence generated from the three-dimensional chaotic mapping. By performing a series of basic operations and permutation treatment, many dynamic S-boxes can be generated. This paper comprehensively analyses the performance of S-boxes from two perspectives: single S-boxes and multiple S-boxes. The analysis covers issues such as bijective property, nonlinearity, strict avalanche criterion, differential approximation probability and bit independence criteria. The results of the performance analysis show that the dynamically generated S-boxes have excellent cryptographic properties, making them suitable for the design and application of cryptographic algorithms.

Strict Avalanche Criterion of SHA-256 and Sub-Function-Removed Variants

The measure of diffusion, the property of dissipating patterns and statistical structures in cryptographic transformations, serves as a valuable heuristic for assessing the obscurity of patterns that could lead to collisions. As with many cryptographic hash functions, SHA-256 is thought to exhibit the property of diffusion. While SHA-256’s diffuse output is loosely documented, even less is known about how the diffusion rate changes across the 64 rounds in its compression function and how the algorithm’s individual sub-functions contribute to the overall diffusion. The diffusion of the unmodified compression function is initially measured using the Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC), with the aim of understanding the alteration in diffusion across the 64 rounds of compression. The level to which sub-functions affect diffusion is subsequently measured, enabling potential prioritization of these sub-functions in future collision attacks. To accomplish this, the compression function is modified by removing sub-functions, and the diffusion of these new variants is measured. While the SAC measurements of each function eventually plateau close to the 50% target, no function, including the unmodified compression function, strictly meets the SAC, and multiple variant functions diffuse at comparatively slower rates.

A robust deep learning attack immune MRAM-based physical unclonable function

The ubiquitous presence of electronic devices demands robust hardware security mechanisms to safeguard sensitive information from threats. This paper presents a physical unclonable function (PUF) circuit based on magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM). The circuit utilizes inherent characteristics arising from fabrication variations, specifically magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cell resistance, to produce corresponding outputs for applied challenges. In contrast to Arbiter PUF, the proposed effectively satisfies the strict avalanche criterion (SAC). Additionally, the grid-like structure of the proposed circuit preserves its resistance against machine learning-based modeling attacks. Various machine learning (ML) attacks employing multilayer perceptron (MLP), linear regression (LR), and support vector machine (SVM) networks are simulated for two-array and four-array architectures. The MLP-attack prediction accuracy was 53.61% for a two-array circuit and 49.87% for a four-array circuit, showcasing robust performance even under the worst-case process variations. In addition, deep learning-based modeling attacks in considerable high dimensions utilizing multiple networks such as convolutional neural network (CNN), recurrent neural network (RNN), MLP, and Larq are used with the accuracy of 50.31%, 50.25%, 50.31%, and 50.31%, respectively. The efficiency of the proposed circuit at the layout level is also investigated for simplified two-array architecture. The simulation results indicate that the proposed circuit offers intra and inter-hamming distance (HD) with a mean of 0.98% and 49.96%, respectively, and a mean diffuseness of 49.09%.

Group-Action-Based S-box Generation Technique for Enhanced Block Cipher Security and Robust Image Encryption Scheme

Data security is one of the biggest concerns in the modern world due to advancements in technology, and cryptography ensures that the privacy, integrity, and authenticity of such information are safeguarded in today’s digitally connected world. In this article, we introduce a new technique for the construction of non-linear components in block ciphers. The proposed S-box generation process is a transformational procedure through which the elements of a finite field are mapped onto highly nonlinear permutations. This transformation is achieved through a series of algebraic and combinatorial operations. It involves group actions on some pairs of two Galois fields to create an initial S-box Pr Sbox, which induces a rich algebraic structure. The post S-box Po Sbox, which is derived from heuristic group-based optimization, leads to high nonlinearity and other important cryptographic parameters. The proposed S-box demonstrates resilience against various attacks, making the system resistant to statistical vulnerabilities. The investigation reveals remarkable attributes, including a nonlinearity score of 112, an average Strict Avalanche Criterion score of 0.504, and LAP (Linear Approximation Probability) score of 0.062, surpassing well-established S-boxes that exhibit desired cryptographic properties. This novel methodology suggests an encouraging approach for enhancing the security framework of block ciphers. In addition, we also proposed a three-step image encryption technique comprising of Row Permutation, Bitwise XOR, and block-wise substitution using Po Sbox. These operations contribute to adding more levels of randomness, which improves the dispersion across the cipher image and makes it equally intense. Therefore, we were able to establish that the approach works to mitigate against statistical and cryptanalytic attacks. The PSNR, UACI, MSE, NCC, AD, SC, MD, and NAE data comparisons with existing methods are also provided to prove the efficiency of the encryption algorithm.

Block Cipher Nonlinear Component Generation via Hybrid Pseudo-Random Binary Sequence for Image Encryption

To analyze the security of encryption, an effectual encryption scheme based on colored images utilizing the hybrid pseudo-random binary sequence (HPRBS) and substitution boxes, known as S-boxes, is proposed. The presented work aims to design S-boxes using pseudo-random binary numbers acquired by Linear Feedback Shift Registers (LFSRs) in combination with a modified quadratic chaotic map. Firstly, cryptographically robust S-boxes are constructed by using binary pseudo-random number sequences, and then the cryptographic properties of the presented S-boxes are tested. The suggested S-boxes showed good results. Secondly, an RGB image encryption algorithm utilizing sequences generated by modified quadratic chaotic maps and S-boxes is offered. The new color image encryption techniques comprise two steps, including a permutation and a substitution step. The key association with the content of the image is also addressed. This strategy can result in a “one-time pad” effect and make the algorithm resistant to chosen-plaintext attack (CPA). The proposed scheme has been confirmed to be more valuable than most of the existing schemes. S-boxes are analyzed by the nonlinearity test, bit independence criterion (BIC), linear and differential approximation probabilities (LPs; DPs), and Strict-Avalanche Criterion (SAC) tests. A comparison with different S-boxes presented in the literature is also carried out. The comparison shows encouraging results about the quality of the proposed box. From security and experimental outcomes, the effectiveness of the presented color image encryption technique is verified. The proposed scheme has evident efficiency benefits, which implies that the proposed colored encryption of the image scheme has better potential for application in encryption schemes in real-time.

COBLAH: A chaotic OBL initialized hybrid algebraic-heuristic algorithm for optimal S-box construction

The Substitution box (S-box) is the main nonlinear component responsible for the cryptographic strength of any Substitution-Permutation Network (SPN) based block cipher. Generating the S-box with optimal cryptographic properties is one of cryptography's most challenging combinatorial problems because of its enormous search space, lack of guidance, and conflicting performance criteria. This paper introduces a novel Chaotic Opposition-based Learning Initialized Hybrid Algebraic-Heuristic (COBLAH) algorithm, combining the favorable traits of Algebraic and heuristics methods based on Galois field inversion, affine mapping, and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The Galois field inversion and affine mapping are used to construct the S-box, while the GA guides the algebraic construction to find the best bit-matrix and additive vector based on any irreducible polynomial for GF(28). GA initializes with a random population generated using a newly constructed cosine-cubic map incorporated with binarization and Opposition-based Learning (OBL). Further, Multi-Objective Optimization Ratio Analysis (MOORA) is utilized to identify the best S-box from the final optimized population. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by comparing the generated COBLAH S-box with more than twenty state-of-the-art S-boxes, including Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Skipjack, Gray, and Affine Power Affine (APA). The COBLAH S-box has nonlinearity 112, Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC) offset 0.0202, Distance to SAC (DSAC) 332, Differential Approximation Probability (DP) 0.0625, Linear Approximation Probability (LP) 0.0156, Bit Independence Criterion-Strict Avalanche Criterion (BIC-SAC) 0.50006, and Bit Independence Criterion-Nonlinearity (BIC-NL) 112, which stands as the optimal observed thus far. The absence of fixed and opposite fixed points and the fact that it adheres to a single cycle aligns the COBLAH S-box with an ideal S-box. In addition, an image encryption mechanism is utilized to encrypt and decrypt the different images sourced from the standard USC-SIPI image dataset using COBLAH S-box and compared against different state-of-the-art S-boxes based on various image characteristics.

A machine learning resistant PUF circuit adjustment method based on strict avalanche criterion

A machine learning resistant PUF circuit adjustment method based on strict avalanche criterion

Symmetry Analysis in Construction Two Dynamic Lightweight S-Boxes Based on the 2D Tinkerbell Map and the 2D Duffing Map

The lack of an S-Box in some lightweight cryptography algorithms, like Speck and Tiny Encryption Algorithm, or the presence of a fixed S-Box in others, like Advanced Encryption Standard, makes them more vulnerable to attacks. This proposal presents a novel approach to creating two dynamic 8-bit S-Boxes (16 × 16). The generation process for each S-Box consists of two phases. Initially, the number initialization phase involves generating sequence numbers 1, sequence numbers 2, and shift values for S-Box1 using the 2D Tinkerbell map. Additionally, sequence numbers 3, sequence numbers 4, and shift values for S-Box2 are generated using the 2D Duffing map. Subsequently, the S-Box construction phase involves the construction of S-Box1 and S-Box2. The effectiveness of the newly proposed S-Boxes was evaluated based on various criteria, including the bijective property, balance, fixed points, and strict avalanche criteria. It was observed that S-Box1 achieved a remarkable linear and differential branch number of 4, surpassing any previous studies. Furthermore, it exhibited a non-linearity of 105.50, a differential uniformity of 12, and an algebraic degree of 7. Similarly, S-Box2 also achieved a linear and differential branch number of 4, a non-linearity of 105.25, a differential uniformity of 14, and an algebraic degree of 7. Moreover, the reduction in the number of linear and nonlinear operations for both S-Boxes makes them suitable for lightweight algorithms. The architecture of the proposed S-Boxes demonstrates robustness, with a total of 3.35 × 10504 possible S-Boxes, providing protection against algebraic attacks.

Securing Data Exchange with Elliptic Curve Cryptography: A Novel Hash-Based Method for Message Mapping and Integrity Assurance

To ensure the security of sensitive data, elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) is adopted as an asymmetric method that balances security and efficiency. Nevertheless, embedding messages into elliptic curve (EC) points poses a significant challenge. The intricacies of this process can greatly affect the overall security and efficiency of the cryptosystem, reflecting security vulnerabilities observed in many existing schemes that utilize ElGamal ECC-based encryption. In this paper, we introduce an innovative hash-based technique for securely embedding messages into EC points before encryption. A random parameter and a shared secret point generated through the EC Diffie–Hellman protocol are used to bolster the scheme’s security. The security of the proposed method is evaluated against various attack models; moreover, the complexity, and sensitivity of the encryption scheme, as well as its inputs, are analyzed. The randomness assessment of the ciphertext was performed using the NIST statistical test suite. Additionally, we propose a mechanism to ensure the integrity of the message by securely appending a tag to the ciphertext. As a consequence, a comprehensive analysis of our scheme demonstrates its effectiveness in maintaining data security and integrity against various attack models. The algorithm also meets more criteria such as the strict avalanche criterion, linear complexity, and operability.

An Enhanced AES-ECC model with Key Dependent Dynamic S-Box for the Security of Mobile Applications using Cloud Computing

The spectacular growth of computational clouds has drawn attention and enabled intensive computing on client devices with constrained resources. Smart phones mostly use the data centre demand service model to provide data to computationally intensive applications. It is challenging to outsource sensitive and private information to distant data centres due to growing concerns about data privacy and security. Therefore, conventional security algorithms have to be upgraded to address the brand-new security concerns that have emerged in the cloud environment. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm encrypts and decrypts messages using the four steps, namely Sub-Bytes, Shift-Rows, Mix-Columns, and Add Round Key. It has been changed so that the Sub-byte transformation depends on the round key. Making the S box round key dependent is intended to make it such that even a little change in the key will have a big impact on the cipher text. The avalanche effect and execution time of the standard and modified AES algorithms are implemented and assessed. In order to suggest a safe and efficient solution, the study also aims to modify the shift rows and the mix column phases of AES. Using cryptographic techniques such as elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), several protocols and algorithms have been developed to guarantee the security and integrity of the data. The proposed solution combines the enhanced and updated The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) technology with the ECC to guarantee data secrecy. The avalanche effect approach is used in this study to explore and analyze the strength and quality of the new s-box. The results demonstrated that each encryption operation generates a unique cipher text. A strong avalanche effect was also achieved with the redesigned dynamic s-box using irreducible polynomials, surpassing the strict avalanche criterion (SAC). The results show that the proposed method ECC-EAESKDS Elliptic Curve Cryptography-Enhanced AES with Key Dependent S box is efficient and yields better results than the alternatives. According to the suggested security architecture, cloud users may control data protection and integrity in a secure manner.

An innovative design of substitution-box using Trigonometric-Multiplicative Functions Using Square Root Arguments: A Data-driven study.

In the evolving landscape of digital technology, the imperative for robust data security mechanisms has escalated, given the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. This abstract delineates a study focused on enhancing cryptographic defenses through the innovation of a Substitution box (S-Box), which is pivotal in the architecture of modern encryption algorithms. The proposed S-Box, deriving its foundation from chaotic maps integrated with trigonometric-multiplicative functions, represents a novel approach in cryptographic design, utilizing square root arguments to instigate dynamic characteristics. The evaluation of the proposed S-Box was methodically conducted using a comprehensive set of cryptographic benchmarks including Nonlinearity (NL), Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC), Bit Independence Criterion (BIC), Linear Approximation Probability (LP), and Differential Approximation Probability (DP), to ascertain its defensive robustness against cryptanalytic attacks. The comparative analysis delineated in this study reveals that the cryptographic strength of the proposed S-Box transcends that of other contemporaneously designed S-Boxes thereby underscoring its potential applicability in real-world security scenarios. The findings of this research not only contribute to the theoretical underpinnings of cryptographic security but also have practical implications in the development of more secure digital environments fortifying data against unauthorized access and ensuring the integrity of confidential information in digital communications.

Secure and Fast Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Modified Logistic Map

In the past few decades, the transmission of data over an unsecure channel has resulted in an increased rate of hacking. The requirement to make multimedia data more secure is increasing day by day. Numerous algorithms have been developed to improve efficiency and robustness in the encryption process. In this article, a novel and secure image encryption algorithm is presented. It is based on a modified chaotic logistic map (CLM) that provides the advantage of taking less computational time to encrypt an input image. The encryption algorithm is based on Shannon’s idea of using a substitution–permutation and one-time pad network to achieve ideal secrecy. The CLM is used for substitution and permutation to improve randomness and increase dependency on the encryption key. Various statistical tests are conducted, such as keyspace analysis, complexity analysis, sensitivity analysis, strict avalanche criteria (SAC), histogram analysis, entropy analysis, mean of absolute deviation (MAD) analysis, correlation analysis, contrast analysis and homogeneity, to give a comparative analysis of the proposed algorithm and verify its security. As a result of various statistical tests, it is evident that the proposed algorithm is more efficient and robust as compared to previous ones.

Practical Improvement in the Implementation of Two Avalanche Tests to Measure Statistical Independence in Stream Ciphers

This study describes the implementation of two algorithms in a parallel environment. These algorithms correspond to two statistical tests based on the bit’s independence criterion and the strict avalanche criterion. They are utilized to measure avalanche properties in stream ciphers. These criteria allow for the statistical independence between the outputs and the internal state of a bit-level cipher to be determined. Both tests require extensive input parameters to assess the performance of current stream ciphers, leading to longer execution times. The presented implementation significantly reduces the execution time of both tests, making them suitable for evaluating ciphers in practical applications. The evaluation results compare the performance of the RC4 and HC256 stream ciphers in both sequential and parallel environments.

Attack Analysis on Hybrid-SIMON-SPECKey Lightweight Cryptographic Algorithm for IoT Applications

Objective: To perform attack analysis on new developed hybrid-SIMON-SPECKey lightweight cryptographic algorithms and compare its strength with existing SIMON and SPECK Lightweight cryptographic algorithm. Methods: A hybrid-SIMON-SPECKey algorithm is the combination of round function of SIMON and key scheduling of SPECK algorithm. Both SIOMN & SPECK algorithm are used for securing resource constrained devices. In this research work, avalanche effect method is used to analyze attack resistance property of algorithm. Findings: Newly developed Hybrid algorithm shows better results in terms of execution time and memory consumption. As compared to SIMON, hybrid version of algorithm consumes 50% less time and 20% less memory, which makes it efficient. Strict Avalanche criteria for SIMON is 89%, that of SPECK is 90% and in case of hybrid algorithm, it is 90% at start position but when the character is flipped or changed at the end position of plain text then SAC is more (87%) in case of hybrid algorithm as compared as SIMON and SPECK algorithms. Hence, newly developed algorithm showed improved results with equally resistance to the attack as compared to SIMON & SPECK. Novelty and applications: The novelty lies in the creation of a hybrid lightweight cryptographic algorithm that combines the feistel structure of SIMON with the key scheduling function of SPECK. This hybrid approach aims to leverage the strengths of both algorithms, potentially providing a more robust and efficient solution for resource-constrained IoT devices. In section 3.1 comparative analysis is done which show that hybrid algorithm outperforms in term of time and memory consumption as well a strength of newly developed hybrid algorithm is evaluated using avalanche effect which shows that it is at par with base algorithms. Keywords: Attack Analysis, Cipher Code, Decryption, Encryption, Lightweight Cryptography, Iot Devices, And Resource Constraint Devices

AES-128 reduced-round permutation by replacing the MixColumns function

Ensuring the protection of digital data is of utmost importance in our current reliance on network operations. However, security measures such as data encryption often result in decreased performance speed. This paper enhanced the 128-bit version of the advanced encryption standard (AES) by substituting the MixColumns function with a permutation-based approach and decreasing the overall number of rounds. The evaluation results indicate a substantial enhancement in the speed of encryption and decryption, with a 76.76% improvement in encryption time and a 55.46% improvement in decryption time. Furthermore, it is important to mention that the modifications implemented in the standard AES did not compromise its security in relation to the strict avalanche criterion. The avalanche effect of the modified AES is 52.92%, surpassing the minimum requirement of 50%. Finally, the modified AES demonstrated a 31.12% increase in throughput for encryption and a 25.50% increase for decryption when compared to the original AES, using the sample dataset.

A Response-Feedback-Based Strong PUF with Improved Strict Avalanche Criterion and Reliability.

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are significant in building lightweight Internet of Things (IoT) authentication protocols. However, PUFs are susceptible to attacks such as Machine-Learning(ML) modeling and statistical attacks. Researchers have conducted extensive research on the security of PUFs; however, existing PUFs do not always possess good statistical characteristics and few of them can achieve a balance between security and reliability. This article proposes a strong response-feedback PUF based on the Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) and the Arbiter PUF (APUF). This structure not only resists existing ML modeling attacks but also exhibits good Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC) and Generalized Strict Avalanche Criterion (GSAC). Additionally, we introduce a Two-Level Reliability Improvement (TLRI) method that achieves 95% reliability with less than 35% of the voting times and single-response generation cycles compared to the traditional pure majority voting method.

A medical image encryption scheme based on Mobius transformation and Galois field

Data security and privacy are considered to be the biggest problems faced by service providers who have worked with public data for a long time. A key element of modern encryption that is utilized to increase textual confusion is the Substitution box (S-box) and the algebraic strength of the S-box has a significant impact on how secure the encryption method is. In this article, we present a unique method that uses a linear fractional transformation on a finite field to produce cryptographically robust S-boxes. Firstly, we choose a specific irreducible polynomial of degree 8 in Z2[x] to construct GF(28). Later, we used the action of PGL(2,GF(28)) on GF(28) to generate a robust S-box. The effectiveness of the built-in S-box was evaluated using several criteria including non-linearity, differential uniformity, strict avalanche criteria, linear approximation probability, and bit independence criterion. The proposed S-box's characteristics are compared to those of most recent S-boxes to confirm the higher performance. Additionally, the S box was used to encrypt images to show its usefulness for multimedia security applications. We performed several tests, including contrast, correlation, homogeneity, entropy, and energy, to evaluate the success of the encryption technique. The proposed method for ciphering an image is very effective, as proven by its comparison with several S boxes.

CAPUF: Design of a configurable circular arbiter PUF with enhanced security and hardware efficiency

Conventional security systems incur considerable computational resources, which become a significant hindrance for resource constraints internet of things (IoT) and wireless sensor network applications. Downsizing the existing security processes necessitates demand for lightweight cryptography for a secure system. The Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) extracts the uncontrollable randomness in the physical variation of integrated circuits (ICs). It is now proven to be promising security primitive for many hardware security applications, including authentication and anti-counterfeiting. The Arbiter PUF (APUF) provides a viable solution with minimal design overhead. This work proposes a new PUF variant, the Configurable Circular Arbiter PUF (CAPUF), for hardware security applications. In the CAPUF, the position of switches in an APUF are selectively altered to amalgam non-linearity and Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC) properties, which enhances its security at low design overhead. An important feature of the CAPUF is that it is configurable, and this flexibility gives it a considerable advantage over many existing PUF variants. Simulation results and statistical analyses establish that the CAPUF outperforms the existing APUF variants through a combination of cost-effective architecture, SAC property, adequate modeling robustness, and the trade-off between security and hardware overhead.

Chaos Meets Cryptography: Developing an S-Box Design with the Rössler Attractor

The volume of data transmitted over networks has significantly increased in recent years. For that reason, safeguarding the privacy, authenticity, and confidentiality of specific data is imperative, necessitating a type of encryption; symmetric encryption, known for its computational efficiency, is ideal for securing extensive datasets. A principal component within symmetric key algorithms is the substitution box (S-box), which creates confusion between plaintext and ciphertext, enhancing the security of the process. This paper proposes a fashion method to create chaotic S-boxes using the Rössler attractor as a chaotic process and the Rijndael S-box as a permutation box. The proposed S-boxes are evaluated with bijectivity, non-linearity (NL), strict avalanche criterion (SAC), bit independence criterion (BIC), linear approximation probability (LAP), and differential uniformity (DU). The analyses show that the proposed method helps generate a high-resistance S-box to well-known attacks and high efficiency, executing in short computational time.