An Enhanced AES256 Key Generation Process with Keccak-F Permutation Method
Ma. Esther B. Chio, Ariel M. Sison, Ruji P. Medina · 2024
Amidst the escalating cybersecurity challenges of 2023, our study introduces an innovative method to strengthen AES256 encryption by integrating the Keccak-f permutation into the key generation process. Validated by NIST SP 800–22, our approach enhances AES 256's resilience against evolving threats. We developed a web application for data encryption and decryption to showcase the practical applicability and effectiveness of our method in securing digital data. In our evaluation, five battery tests prioritize detecting general randomness properties, spatial correlations, and systematic biases or patterns in the cipher bitstream of five images. The obtained results show average p-values for each test: Frequency Test (0.808516), Block Frequency (0.4973584), Serial Test (0.4083832), Runs Test (0.7673616), and Non-overlapping Template Test (0.4176802). In the context of randomness of sequences, a p-value greater than the significance level$a$of 0.01 (1%) suggests that the observed sequence is consistent with randomness. Moreover, the computed average Shannon Entropy (0.921106626) implies that the bitstream is fairly unpredictable. Our results underscore promising heightened data security. The enhanced AES 256 algorithm has great potential for securing sensitive data across diverse domains like secure messaging, blockchain networks, and IoT devices. This innovation strengthens AES 256's resilience against evolving threats, promising heightened data protection and addressing critical cybersecurity challenges in the digital realm.