Exploring and Adapting AES Algorithm for Optimal Use as a Lightweight IoT Crypto Algorithm

Abstract

Cyber and Information security are among the most critical challenges facing nowadays technologies, especially with the discrepancy in devices' capabilities that have increased with the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The main problem in IoT security is how to find lightweight cryptosystems that are suitable for devices with limited capabilities. In this thesis, a comprehensive literature survey that discusses the most prominent encryption algorithms used in device security in general and IoT devices in specific has been conducted. Many studies related to this field have been discussed to identify the most important requirements of lightweight encryption systems to be compatible with variances in IoT devices. Also, we explored the results of security and performance of the AES algorithm by changing it’s core parameters and functions including the MixColumns and the number of rounds. In case of changing MixColumns, the results showed the security has been adversely affected. While changing in the number of rounds provides a promising result to improve the algorithm performance while keeping an acceptable security level which makes it more adaptable to IoT devices. In general, the results showed that running three rounds of standard AES maintains the same level of security practically under specific criteria with a 386% improvement in performance indicators. Accordingly, we proposed a New Lightweight AES (NLW-AES) which maintain the standard AES-MixColumns with three rounds of AES. Finally, we tested both the Standard AES and the New Lightweight AES on Raspberry Pi as an IoT model which provide compatible results with the explored scenarios. Keywords: IoT Security, Networks, Cryptography, AES, Lightweight cryptography.