The Quasigroup Block Cipher and its Analysis

This thesis discusses the Quasigroup Block Cipher (QGBC) and its analysis. We first present the basic form of the QGBC and then follow with improvements in memory consumption and security. As a means of analyzing the system, we utilize tools such as the NIST Statistical Test Suite, auto and crosscorrelation, then linear and algebraic cryptanalysis. Finally, as we review the results of these analyses, we propose improvements and suggest an algorithm suitable for low-cost FPGA implementation

Application of Quasigroups in Cryptography and Data Communications

In the past decade, quasigroup theory has proven to be a fruitfull field for production of new cryptographic primitives and error-corecting codes. Examples include several finalists in the flagship competitions for new symmetric ciphers, as well as several assimetric proposals and cryptcodes. Since the importance of cryptography and coding theory for secure and reliable data communication can only grow within our modern society, investigating further the power of quasigroups in these fields is highly promising research direction. Our team of researchers has defined several research objectives, which can be devided into four main groups: 1. Design of new cryptosystems or their building blocks based on quasigroups - we plan to make a classification of small quasigroups based on new criteria, as well as to identify new optimal 8–bit S-boxes produced by small quasigroups. The results will be used to design new stream and block ciphers. 2. Cryptanalysis of some cryptosystems based on quasigroups - we will modify and improve the existing automated tools for differential cryptanalysis, so that they can be used for prove the resistance to differential cryptanalysis of several existing ciphers based on quasigroups. This will increase the confidence in these ciphers. 3. Codes based on quasigroups - we will designs new and improve the existing error correcting codes based on combinatorial structures and quasigroups. 4. Algebraic curves over finite fields with their cryptographic applications - using some known and new tools, we will investigate the rational points on algebraic curves over finite fields, and explore the possibilities of applying the results in cryptography

On weak rotors, Latin squares, linear algebraic representations, invariant differentials and cryptanalysis of Enigma

Since the 1920s until today it was assumed that rotors in Enigma cipher machines do not have a particular weakness or structure. A curious situation compared to hundreds of papers about S-boxes and weak setup in block ciphers. In this paper we reflect on what is normal and what is not normal for a cipher machine rotor, with a reference point being a truly random permutation. Our research shows that most original wartime Enigma rotors ever made are not at all random permutations and conceal strong differential properties invariant by rotor rotation. We also exhibit linear/algebraic properties pertaining to the ring of integers modulo 26. Some rotors are imitating a certain construction of a perfect quasigroup which however only works when N is odd. Most other rotors are simply trying to approximate the ideal situation. To the best of our knowledge these facts are new and were not studied before 2020

A Family of Block Ciphers Based on Multiple Quasigroups

A family of block ciphers parametrized by an optimal quasigroup is proposed in this paper. The proposed cipher uses sixteen $4\times 4$ bits S-boxes as an optimal quasigroup of order 16. Since a maximum of $16!$ optimal quasigroups of order 16 can be formed, the family consists of $C^{16!}_1$ cryptosystems. All the sixteen S-boxes have the highest algebraic degree and are optimal with the lowest linearity and differential characteristics. Therefore, these S-boxes are secure against linear and differential attacks. The proposed cipher is analyzed against various attacks, including linear and differential attacks, and we found it to be resistant to these attacks. The proposed cipher is implemented in C++, compared its performance with existing quasigroup based block ciphers, and we found that our proposal is more efficient than existing quasigroup based proposals. We also evaluated our cipher using various statistical tests of the NIST-STS test suite, and we found it to pass these tests. We also established in this study that the randomness of our cipher is almost the same as that of the AES-128

Dynamic key scheduling algorithm for block ciphers using quasigroup string transformation

Cryptographic ciphers depend on how quickly the key affects the output of the ciphers (ciphertext). Keys are traditionally generated from small size input (seed) to a bigger size random key(s). Key scheduling algorithm (KSA) is the mechanism that generates and schedules all sub-keys for each round of encryption. Researches have suggested that sub-keys should be generated separately to avoid related-key attack. Similarly, the key space should be disproportionately large to resist any attack on the secret key. To archive that, some algorithms adopt the use of matrixes such as quasigroup, Hybrid cubes and substitution box (S-box) to generate the encryption keys. Quasigroup has other algebraic property called “Isotophism”, which literally means Different quasigroups that has the same order of elements but different arrangements can be generated from the existing one. This research proposed a Dynamic Key Scheduling Algorithm (KSA) using isotope of a quasigroup as the dynamic substitution table. A method of generating isotope from a non-associative quasigroup using one permutation with full inheritance is achieved. The generic quasigroup string transformation has been analyzed and it is found to be vulnerable to ciphertext only attack which eventually led to the proposal of a new quasigroup string transformation in this research to assess its strength as it has never been analyzed nor properly implemented before. Based on the dynamic shapeless quasigroup and the proposed new string transformation, a Dynamic Key Scheduling Algorithm (DKSA) is developed. To validate the findings, non-associativity of the generated isotopes has been tested and the generated isotopes appeared to be non-associative. Furthermore, the proposed KSA algorithm has been validated using the randomness test proposed and recommended by NIST, avalanche test and has achieved remarkable result of 94%, brute force and correlation assessment test with -0.000449 correlations. It was fully implemented in a modified Rijndael block cipher to validate it performance and it has produced a remarkable result of 3.35332 entropy

The Security of Quasigroups Based Substitution Permutation Networks

The study of symmetric structures based on quasigroups is relatively new and certain gaps can be found in the literature. In this paper, we want to fill one of these gaps. More precisely, in this work we study substitution permutation networks based on quasigroups that make use of permutation layers that are non-linear relative to the quasigroup operation. We prove that for quasigroups isotopic with a group $\mathbb{G}$, the complexity of mounting a differential attack against this type of substitution permutation network is the same as attacking another symmetric structure based on $\mathbb{G}$. The resulting structure is interesting and new, and we hope that it will form the basis for future secure block ciphers