Cryptographic Key Expansion Pipeline Hardware Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
As electronic commerce and communication increase, existing cryptographic algorithms become vulnerable to attacks due to advancements in computer technology, leading to performance overhead and challenges in processor implementation, such as increased hardware requirements, power consumption, and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A cryptographic unit with a key expansion pipeline that generates and stores an expanded set of cipher keys, allowing each pipeline stage to perform corresponding steps of the key expansion algorithm during a key expansion mode, and seamlessly integrates with the cipher algorithm during operation, reducing hardware requirements and improving performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If more sophisticated cryptographic algorithms are implemented to meet security threats, then security strength is improved, but computational complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cryptographic unit is divided into multiple pipeline stages, each handling a specific step of the cipher algorithm. This segmentation allows the complex cryptographic operations to be distributed across multiple simpler hardware components, reducing the complexity of any single stage while maintaining overall security strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The key expansion pipeline pre-generates expanded cipher keys before they are needed for the actual cipher operation. This preliminary action allows the key expansion to be performed in advance using dedicated hardware, reducing the computational burden during the main cipher execution and lowering peak hardware requirements.
2Reliability
If more sophisticated cryptographic algorithms are implemented, then security strength is improved, but processing performance decreases due to overhead
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cipher algorithm into multiple pipeline stages, each stage can operate independently and concurrently on different data elements. This parallel processing capability maintains high security strength while improving processing performance through efficient utilization of hardware resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The key expansion pipeline performs key generation in advance, so that when cipher operations are executed, the expanded keys are already available. This eliminates the need for time-consuming key expansion during critical cipher operations, thereby improving processing performance without compromising security.
3Reliability
If cryptographic algorithms are implemented in processor hardware, then security is improved, but processor area and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cryptographic unit is designed as a dedicated hardware component that can handle multiple cryptographic operations through configuration. This multi-functionality allows a single hardware block to provide various cipher algorithms, reducing the total processor area required compared to implementing multiple separate cryptographic functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cryptographic operations are segmented into discrete pipeline stages that can be independently implemented and optimized. This segmentation allows for efficient resource sharing and reduces redundant hardware, thereby lowering the overall processor area and power consumption while maintaining security.
4Reliability
If cryptographic algorithms are implemented in processor hardware, then security is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the cryptographic processing into multiple pipeline stages, power consumption is distributed across different time periods rather than concentrated in a single high-power operation. This temporal distribution reduces peak power consumption while maintaining the security provided by hardware implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The key expansion pipeline performs computationally intensive key generation operations in advance, when power consumption can be managed more efficiently. This preliminary action reduces the power burden during the actual cipher operations, thereby lowering overall power consumption while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for cryptographic key expansion. According to a first embodiment, a cryptographic unit may include key storage configured to store an expanded set of cipher keys for a cipher algorithm, and a key expansion pipeline comprising a plurality of pipeline stages. During a key expansion mode of operation, each pipeline stage may be configured to perform a corresponding step of generating a member of the expanded set of cipher keys according to a key expansion algorithm. During a cipher mode of operation, a portion of the key expansion pipeline may be configured to perform a step of the cipher algorithm.