A Comparative Study between Block Cipher Families

Abstract

Cryptography is the security mechanism used to provide data confidentiality service. Symmetric ciphers are the most widely used type because they are easier to implement and consume less resources compared to asymmetric ciphers, and they are considered secure as long as the key is kept secret. Iterating block ciphers are the most popular type of symmetric ciphers because of their effectiveness in software implementations and dedicated hardware implementations. Iterating block ciphers differ in terms of the structure of the rounds they perform, and the round structure is an open and constantly evolving field of research. Depending on the structure of the round, different families can be distinguished that provide unique features in terms of performance, security and ease of implementation. The reference study shows that there are many research papers that discuss and compare the performance and security of ciphers on platforms that are suitable for particular environments. However, there are no previous studies that compare the structures of different families and their unique features. This paper aims to explain the structures of families of iterating block ciphers, identify their unique features, compare them, and provide conclusions based on those features. Thus, it provides the reader with the ability to understand the common features of the block ciphers belonging to the same family, and it is a good starting point that makes it easier for the researcher in the field of developing encryption algorithms to choose the appropriate structure to build the required block cipher.