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Block Cipher Design Principles

Last Updated : 18 May, 2023

Block ciphers are built in the Feistel cipher structure. Block cipher has a
specific number of rounds and keys for generating ciphertext.Block cipher is
a type of encryption algorithm that processes fixed-size blocks of data,
usually 64 or 128 bits, to produce ciphertext. The design of a block cipher
involves several important principles to ensure the security and efficiency of
the algorithm. Some of these principles are:

1. Number of Rounds – The number of Rounds is regularly considered in

design criteria, it just reflects the number of rounds to be suitable for an
algorithm to make it more complex, in DES we have 16 rounds ensuring it
to be more secure while in AES we have 10 rounds which makes it more
secure.
2. Design of function F – The core part of the Feistel Block cipher structure
is the Round Function. The complexity of cryptanalysis can be derived
from the Round function i.e. the increasing level of complexity for the
round function would be greatly contributing to an increase in complexity.
To increase the complexity of the round function, the avalanche effect is
also included in the round function, as the change of a single bit in plain
text would produce a mischievous output due to the presence of
avalanche effect.
3. Confusion and Diffusion: The cipher should provide confusion and
diffusion to make it difficult for an attacker to determine the relationship
between the plaintext and ciphertext. Confusion means that the
ciphertext should be a complex function of the key and plaintext, making
it difficult to guess the key. Diffusion means that a small change in the
plaintext should cause a significant change in the ciphertext, which makes
it difficult to analyze the encryption pattern.
4. Key
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 it harder for an attacker to guess the correct one. A key size of 128 bits is
considered to be secure for most applications.
5. Key Schedule: The key schedule should be designed carefully to ensure
that the keys used for encryption are independent and unpredictable. The
key schedule should also resist attacks that exploit weak keys or key-
dependent properties of the cipher.
6. Block Size: The block size should be large enough to prevent attacks that
exploit statistical patterns in the plaintext. A block size of 128 bits is
generally considered to be secure for most applications.
7. Non-linearity: The S-box used in the cipher should be non-linear to
provide confusion. A linear S-box is vulnerable to attacks that exploit the
linear properties of the cipher.
8. Avalanche Effect: The cipher should exhibit the avalanche effect, which
means that a small change in the plaintext or key should cause a
significant change in the ciphertext. This ensures that any change in the
input results in a complete change in the output.
9. Security Analysis: The cipher should be analyzed for its security against
various attacks such as differential cryptanalysis, linear cryptanalysis, and
brute-force attacks. The cipher should also be tested for its resistance to
implementation attacks, such as side-channel attacks.

Overall, a good block cipher design should be resistant to various attacks,

efficient, and easy to implement.

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