Performance Evaluation of Safer K-64 and S-Boxes of the Safer Family

Ekrem ARAS; Melek D. YÜCEL

Article Details

Performance Evaluation of Safer K-64 and S-Boxes of the Safer Family

Authors:

Ekrem ARAS | Melek D. YÜCEL

Publisher:

TUBITAK

Journal:

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science 2001 Vol.9 Issue 2, pp.161-176

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2001

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2000744375

Frequency:

Bimonthly

eISSN:

1303-6203

pISSN:

1300-0632

Abstract:

 

If the characteristics of s-boxes of the SAFER family of ciphers are examined for the criteria of strict avalanche, bit independence, and XOR table distribution, experiments show that the exponentiating'' s-box has a weakness for  an input difference of 128 (=100000002) and the  logarithm-taking'' s-box has a weakness for an input difference of  253 (=111111012).  However, since these experiments are  performed by isolating the s-boxes from the general structure, they do  not necessarily indicate a weakness in the overall algorithm.  We  propose a quick and rough test method, called the avalanche weight  distribution criterion, to evaluate the overall performance of block  ciphers.  We then apply this novel criterion and the conventional  strict avalanche criterion to SAFER K-64, and show that the algorithm  passes both tests successfully despite the specific weaknesses of its  isolated s-boxes.

 

If the characteristics of s-boxes of the SAFER family of ciphers are examined for the criteria of strict avalanche, bit independence, and XOR table distribution, experiments show that the exponentiating'' s-box has a weakness for  an input difference of 128 (=100000002) and the  logarithm-taking'' s-box has a weakness for an input difference of  253 (=111111012).  However, since these experiments are  performed by isolating the s-boxes from the general structure, they do  not necessarily indicate a weakness in the overall algorithm.  We  propose a quick and rough test method, called the avalanche weight  distribution criterion, to evaluate the overall performance of block  ciphers.  We then apply this novel criterion and the conventional  strict avalanche criterion to SAFER K-64, and show that the algorithm  passes both tests successfully despite the specific weaknesses of its  isolated s-boxes.

Article Details

Performance Evaluation of Safer K-64 and S-Boxes of the Safer Family

Authors: Ekrem ARAS | Melek D. YÜCEL

Publisher: TUBITAK

Journal: Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science 2001 Vol.9 Issue 2, pp.161-176

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2001

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2000744375

Frequency: Bimonthly

eISSN: 1303-6203

pISSN: 1300-0632

Issues

Authors:

Ekrem ARAS | Melek D. YÜCEL

Publisher:

TUBITAK

Journal:

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science 2001 Vol.9 Issue 2, pp.161-176

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2001

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2000744375

Frequency:

Bimonthly

eISSN:

1303-6203

pISSN:

1300-0632