MS, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Computer Science

Cryptography, derived from the Greek word meaning "to hide information," involves techniques for converting readable plaintext into unreadable ciphertext through a process called encryption. Cryptography algorithms are broadly categorized into two types: symmetric key cryptography and asymmetric key cryptography. Symmetric key cryptography is further divided into block ciphers and stream ciphers. Block ciphers, based on their structure, can be classified into two main categories: Substitution-Permutation Networks (SPN) and Feistel Networks (FN). This research focuses on SPN-based block ciphers. In 1949[1], Claude Shannon introduced two fundamental operations required for a robust cryptosystem: substitution and permutation. Substitution, the core component of SPN-based cryptography, is implemented through substitution boxes (S-Boxes), where each element in the plaintext is mapped to another element to achieve nonlinearity and provide the confusion property crucial for security. With the rise of constrained devices, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), there is an increasing demand for lightweight symmetric-key algorithms. However, in many cases, the S-Box contributes the most to the hardware complexity and computational load compared to other linear components. This research addresses this challenge by designing and optimizing a lightweight cryptosystem suitable for resource-limited environments. The thesis makes two key contributions to the field of lightweight cryptography. The first contribution is the development of chaos-based S-Boxes tailored for devices with restricted computational capabilities. By leveraging chaotic maps, the proposed S-Boxes achieve a high degree of nonlinearity and security while maintaining a minimal computational and hardware footprint, making them ideal for IoT and other constrained devices. These chaos-based S-Boxes introduce dynamic, unpredictable substitution patterns that enhance resistance to cryptanalysis techniques such as l (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Maha Allouzi Dr (Advisor); Younghun Chae Dr (Committee Member); Lei Xu Dr (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Engineering; Computer Science