Cryptography: Circuits and Systems Approach

Abstract

Wireless Communications have become a very attractive and interesting sector for the provision of electronic services. Mobile networks are available almost anytime, anywhere and the user’s acceptance of wireless hand-held devices is high. The services, are offered, are strongly increasing due to the different large range of the users’ needs. In our days, the wireless communication protocols have specified security layers, which support security with high level strength. These wireless protocols security layers use encryption algorithms, which in many cases have been proved unsuitable and outdated for hardware implementations. The software and especially the hardware implementations of these layers are proved hard process for a developer/implementer. The performance results of those implementations are not often acceptable for the wireless communication standards and demands. Especially in the hand held devices and mobile communications applications with high speed and performance specifications such implementation solutions are not acceptable. In this talk, first, the mobile communication protocols are introduced and their security layers are described. The software implementations results of the used cryptographic algorithms are given for a fair comparison with hardware. The available hardware devices and latest technologies are described. The VLSI implementation approaches are also demonstrated in details with emphasis on the problems that a hardware implementer has to solve. Flexible solutions are proposed in order the implementation problems to be faced successfully with today’s needs of the mobile data transfers. Finally, recommendations and observations for the wireless security engines are discussed.