AES CRYPTOGRAPHY: A

DEEP DIVE

PRESENTED BY:
SIDDHANT MISHRA
REGD. NO.:2201289170
COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

Under The Supervision Of:

Prof.(Dr.) padmabati chand
Assistant Professor, Dept of CSE,
Trident Academy of technology
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction to Cryptography

Symmetric VS Asymmetric

Understanding AES Encryption

AES Encryption Process

AES Modes of Operation

Quantum Computing Threat to AES

AES in Real-World Applications

Cybersecurity Attacks on AES

Challenges with AES

 INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOGRAPHY
Before diving into AES encryption, it is essential to understand the basics of
cryptography, its types, and how encryption methods evolved.

What is Cryptography?
• Cryptography is the science of securing communication from adversaries
by transforming information into an unreadable format (encryption) and
back into a readable format (decryption). It ensures:
1. Confidentiality – Only intended recipients can read the message.
2. Integrity – Ensures that the message has not been altered.
3. Authentication – Verifies the identity of the sender and receiver.
4. Non-repudiation – Prevents denial of a transaction or communication.
EVOLUTION AND TYPES OF ENCRYPTION

• Cryptography, the art of securing information, has evolved significantly since its inception. Historically, one of
the earliest known uses of cryptography dates back to around 1900 BC, where non-standard hieroglyphs were
carved into the tomb of Khnumhotep II in Egypt. These modifications were likely intended to obscure the
message or add an element of mystery.
• Over time, various encryption methods have been developed to protect information into two main types:

Symmetric Encryption: This method uses a single Asymmetric Encryption: Introduced in the 1970s,
key for both encryption and decryption. A classic this approach employs a pair of keys—one public
example is the Caesar cipher, attributed to Julius and one private. The public key encrypts the data,
Caesar, which involved shifting letters of the while the private key decrypts it, enhancing
alphabet by a fixed number to encode messages. security by eliminating the need to share secret
Modern symmetric algorithms include the keys. RSA is a well-known asymmetric encryption
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Splunk algorithm. Cisco
ASYMMETRIC ENCRYPTION

• 1. Public-Key Cryptography (Asymmetric Encryption)

• Cryptocurrencies primarily use public-key cryptography (PKC) to facilitate
secure transactions. This system involves:
• Public Key: A key that is shared with the network, acting as an address for
receiving funds.
• Private Key: A secret key used to sign transactions, proving ownership of
the cryptocurrency.
• This encryption model is based on mathematical problems that are
computationally hard to solve (e.g., Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and
RSA).
 SYMMETRIC ENCRYPTION
• Key Usage: Uses a single key for both encryption and
decryption.
• Speed: Faster because the encryption and decryption process
is computationally less complex.
• Security: Less secure than asymmetric cryptography if the key
is compromised since both sender and receiver use the same
key.
• Key Distribution: The biggest challenge is securely sharing the
secret key between parties.
• Common Algorithms: AES (Advanced Encryption Standard),
DES (Data Encryption Standard), 3DES (Triple DES), Blowfish.

•A sender encrypts a message (or data) using a shared

secret key.

•The encrypted data is transmitted to the recipient.

•The recipient decrypts it using the same key.

KEY DIFFERENCES AT A GLANCE

Feature Symmetric Cryptography Asymmetric Cryptography

Key Used Single key Public and private key pair

Speed Fast Slow

Security Less secure if the key is exposed More secure due to separate keys

Key Distribution Difficult (requires a secure channel) Easier (public key can be shared)

Examples AES, DES, Blowfish RSA, ECC, DSA

Best Use Encrypting large data, VPNs Secure key exchange, authentication
ADVANCED ENCRYPTION STANDARD (AES):
THE CORE OF MODERN CRYPTOGRAPHY

What is AES?
• The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric block cipher algorithm
standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2001 to
replace the older Data Encryption Standard (DES).
• AES is used globally for securing sensitive data in banking, government, military, and
everyday internet security protocols (such as HTTPS, VPNs, and encrypted
messaging).

History:
•Developed by Rijndael (Joan Daemen & Vincent Rijmen) in
1998.
•Selected by NIST (National Institute of Standards and
Technology) in 2001 as a replacement for DES.
•Used by governments, businesses, and industries worldwide.
AES FEATURES & PROPERTIES
Why was AES Needed?
Efficiency: Fast and optimized •DES used a 56-bit key, which became
for both hardware and
software implementations. vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
•AES supports larger key sizes (128, 192,
and 256 bits), making it far more secure.
Block Cipher: Encrypts
data in fixed-size blocks
of 128 bits.

Symmetric Encryption: Uses the

same key for encryption and
decryption.
Key Features of AES

Key Length Variants:

Supports three key sizes:
AES-128 (128-bit key)
• AES-192 (192-bit key)
• AES-256 (256-bit key)
High Security:
Resistant to all
known practical
attacks, including
brute force.
AES ENCRYPTION PROCESS
AES is a block cipher that is it will take a block of bits and produce a
block in return.

AES follows a series of transformations on a 128-bit block of

plaintext, using a key of 128, 192, or 256 bits. The number of rounds
depends on the key size:

Key Size Number of Rounds

AES-128 10 rounds

AES-192 12 rounds

AES-256 14 rounds

Each round consists of four primary transformations:

1. SubBytes (Byte Substitution using S-Box)
2. ShiftRows (Row Shifting)
3. MixColumns (Mixing Column Data)
4. AddRoundKey (XOR with Key)
STEPS TO AES PROCESS
• Step 1: Key Expansion
• AES generates a series of round keys from the original key using the Rijndael
Key Schedule.
• These round keys are used in each encryption round.
• AddRoundKey: The plaintext is XORed with the first round key at the initial
stage.
• Step 3: Main Transformation (10, 12, or 14 rounds)
• Each round consists of 4 transformation :
1. SubBytes – Each byte is substituted using a predefined lookup table (S-Box).
2. ShiftRows – Rows of the 4×4 state matrix are shifted left by varying offsets.
3. MixColumns – Columns of the state matrix are mixed using a fixed matrix
multiplication in Galois Field
• Mathematical Operation in MixColumns:
Each column undergoes matrix multiplication in GF(28 ) :

4. AddRoundKey – The state matrix is XORed with the round key.

• Step 4: Final Round

• The last round excludes MixColumns and completes encryption.
• The no of rounds will depend on the size of the key as shown before
SUBBYTES
In the SubBytes step of the Advanced Encryption Standard
(AES), each byte in the 4×4 state matrix undergoes substitution
to enhance security. Here's a simplified breakdown:

1.Purpose: Replace each byte with a new value to introduce

non-linearity, making it harder for attackers to predict patterns.
2.S-Box (Substitution Box): A predefined 16×16 matrix used as
a lookup table. Each cell contains a unique byte value.

Substitution Process:
• Each byte in the state matrix is split into two
4-bit halves.
• The first half determines the row, and the
second half determines the column in the S-
Box.
• The byte is then replaced with the value
found at this row and column intersection in
the S-Box. Example:
•If a byte in hexadecimal is 0x53:
•Split into 5 (row) and 3 (column).
•Locate the value in the S-Box at row 5, column 3.
•Suppose this value is 0xED; thus, 0x53 is replaced with 0xED
SHIFT ROWS
n the ShiftRows step of the Advanced Encryption
Standard (AES), the rows of the 4×4 state matrix
are shifted to the left by varying offsets. Here's a
simplified breakdown:
1.Purpose: Enhances diffusion by rearranging the
bytes in each row, ensuring that the columns are
mixed in subsequent steps.

1.Shifting Process:
1. First Row: No shift.
2. Second Row: Shifted one byte to the left.
3. Third Row: Shifted two bytes to the left.
4. Fourth Row: Shifted three bytes to the left.
MIX COLUMNS
•Purpose: To mix the data within each
column, ensuring that the influence of each
input byte spreads over four output bytes,
thereby increasing the complexity for
potential attackers.

Transformation Process:

1. Matrix Multiplication: Each column

in the state matrix is treated as a
four-byte vector.
2. This vector is multiplied by a fixed
4×4 matrix using finite field
arithmetic (specifically, Galois Field
GF(2^8)).
3. The fixed matrix used in AES is:
KEY EXPANSION & ADDING A ROUND KEY
1.Initial Key:
1. AES supports key sizes of 128, 192, or 256 bits.
2. This key is divided into 4-byte words. For example, a 128-bit key
consists of 4 words.
Key Expansion Process:
•a. Start with the Initial Key: The original key's words are used as
the first set of round keys.

•b. Generate Additional Words: New words are created iteratively

until the required number of round keys is achieved.

•For positions that are multiples of the key length ( i divisible by N):
•i. Rotate Word (RotWord): Shift the bytes in the word
cyclically.
•ii. Substitute Bytes (SubWord): Replace each byte using
the AES S-Box.
•iii. Add Round Constant (Rcon): XOR the result with a
round-specific constant.
•For other positions:
•XOR the current word with the word N positions earlier.
AES MODES OF OPERATION
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) employs various modes of operation to securely encrypt data. These
modes define how AES processes data blocks and include:

Mode Description Strengths

Encrypts each block Weak, vulnerable to pattern
ECB (Electronic Codebook)
independently attacks
Each block is XORed with the More secure, resistant to replay
CBC (Cipher Block Chaining)
previous ciphertext block attacks
Converts block cipher into a
CFB (Cipher Feedback Mode) Good for real-time encryption
stream cipher
Converts block cipher into a Synchronizable, avoids error
OFB (Output Feedback Mode)
stream cipher propagation
Provides both encryption and Used in TLS, IPsec, and secure
GCM (Galois/Counter Mode)
authentication applications

Each mode offers distinct advantages and is chosen based on

specific security and performance requirements.
MODERN DEVELOPMENTS IN AES
AES remains the gold standard for encryption, but advancements in computing power and emerging threats require
continuous research and development.

a) AES-256: The Gold Standard for Security

Among the three AES key sizes (128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit), AES-256 is considered the most secure and is
widely used in government and military applications.
• In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked that the NSA prefers AES-256 for encrypting classified information.
• AES-256 provides 22562^{256}2256 possible keys, making brute-force attacks impractical.

b) AES with GCM (Galois/Counter Mode)

• AES-GCM is now the standard encryption mode for TLS 1.3, VPNs, and secure communications.
• It combines encryption with authentication, preventing tampering of messages.

c) AES in Secure Hardware (Intel & ARM AES-NI)

• Modern CPUs (Intel, AMD, ARM) include AES-NI (AES New Instructions) for hardware-accelerated encryption.
• This speeds up AES operations by 3-10x compared to software-based AES.
• Used in full-disk encryption (BitLocker, VeraCrypt), cloud security, and secure boot mechanisms.
d) AES in Zero Trust Security Frameworks
• Zero Trust Security models (ZTNA) rely on AES for encrypting data in transit and at rest.
• Examples: Google BeyondCorp, Microsoft Zero Trust Framework.
QUANTUM COMPUTING AND ITS IMPACT
ON AES

Quantum computing poses a major threat to traditional encryption algorithms. While AES is still considered safe, research
is ongoing to develop quantum-resistant cryptographic methods.

a) How Quantum Computing Breaks Encryption

Quantum computers use Shor’s Algorithm to break RSA and Grover’s Algorithm to weaken AES:
1. RSA (Asymmetric Encryption) – Vulnerable to Shor’s Algorithm (can break RSA-2048 in minutes).
2. AES (Symmetric Encryption) – Grover’s Algorithm reduces brute-force time, but AES-256 remains quantum-resistant.

b) NIST’s Post-Quantum Cryptography Initiative

NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) is standardizing quantum-resistant encryption.
• AES-GCM with post-quantum key exchange is being explored for hybrid cryptography.
AES IN BLOCKCHAIN, IOT, AND AI SECURITY
a) AES in Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies
•AES is not used directly in blockchain transactions (which use asymmetric cryptography like ECDSA), but it is critical for:
• Securing private keys in wallets (AES-encrypted key storage).
• Encrypted smart contracts (privacy-preserving transactions).
• Protecting communications between blockchain nodes.

•Example: Ethereum and Bitcoin wallets use AES-256 to encrypt private keys.

b) AES in IoT (Internet of Things) Security

• AES is widely used in:
• Smart Home Devices (Nest, Ring, Alexa, Google Home).
• Medical Devices & Wearables (Heart Monitors, Smartwatches).
• Automobile Security (Tesla, BMW, Ford IoT-based vehicle security).

c) AES in Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning

• AI models need encryption to prevent adversarial attacks and theft of training data.
• Federated Learning (FL) encrypts AI model updates using AES to protect user data privacy.
• Example: Google’s TensorFlow Privacy uses AES-GCM to encrypt AI models in cloud-based training.
CHALLENGES WITH AES
As of 2025, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) faces several 3.Adoption Challenges in Payment Systems:
challenges: Transitioning to AES encryption in the payment
industry faces obstacles due to existing
1.Quantum Computing Threats: While AES-256 remains infrastructure and compliance requirements. A
secure against current quantum capabilities, the rapid phased adoption plan is essential to enhance
advancement in quantum computing necessitates the security while maintaining operational
development of quantum-resistant encryption methods to continuity. AES is computationally expensive for
prepare for future threats. small devices → AES-lightweight
implementations are developed.
2.Implementation Vulnerabilities: Poorly implemented AES
can be susceptible to side-channel attacks, where attackers
exploit information leakage (e.g., timing, power consumption) 4.Performance Overheads: Implementing
to extract secret keys. Ensuring robust and secure advanced encryption techniques like AES can
implementations is crucial to mitigate these risks. introduce performance impacts, especially in
resource-constrained environments. Balancing
3..Interoperability Issues: Ensuring compatibility between security with system efficiency requires careful
different systems and devices using AES encryption can be optimization.
challenging, necessitating standardized protocols and
practices to facilitate seamless integration.
CONCLUSION
• AES continues to be the backbone of modern cryptographic security, but challenges such
as quantum computing, AI-driven attacks, and side-channel vulnerabilities require
continuous improvement.

Key Takeaways:
• AES-256 is still secure and widely used in government,
finance, blockchain, and AI.

• Quantum computing may impact AES, but post-quantum

encryption is in development.

• AES-GCM is becoming the standard for modern secure

communications.

• Side-channel attacks are a major concern, requiring hardware

and software mitigations.
REFERENCES
1.Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Overview:
•The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides the official specification for • https://
AES: www.geeksforgeeks.org/advanced-encryption-standard-aes/
•NIST FIPS 197: Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) • https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/cryptography-tutorial/aes-e
2.Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Encryption: ncryption
•A detailed comparison of symmetric and asymmetric encryption can be found here: • https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/mediacenter/what-is-aes-encry
•Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Encryption ption/
3.AES Encryption Process: • https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.197-upd1.pdf
•For an in-depth explanation of the AES encryption process, including its steps and transformations: • https://cybernews.com/resources/what-is-aes-encryption/
•Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) - GeeksforGeeks
• https://femionewin.medium.com/aes-encryption-with-python-step
4.AES Modes of Operation: -by-step-3e3ab0b0fd6c
•An overview of different AES modes of operation and their applications:
•AES Encryption: Secure Data with Advanced Encryption Standard
5.Quantum Computing and AES:
•Discussion on the impact of quantum computing on AES and the concept of post-quantum
cryptography:
•What Is AES Encryption? The Complete Guide
6.AES in Real-World Applications:
•Insights into how AES is utilized in various industries:
•What Is the Advanced Encryption Standard? AES Explained
7.Cybersecurity Attacks on AES:
•Information on potential vulnerabilities and attacks on AES:
•Advanced Encryption Standard - Wikipedia
8.Python Implementation of AES:
•A practical guide to implementing AES encryption and decryption in Python:
•AES Encrypt / Decrypt - Examples
9.Future of AES & Security Enhancements:
•Discussion on the future developments and enhancements in AES encryption:
•Everything You Need to Know About AES-256 Encryption
QNA
Thank You