Image Encryption using AES Algorithm

Abstract
Image security is important these days as data is increasing a lot. These data can be

images, videos, text, audio, etc. so to protect these images from attackers who can

destroy the image quality or modify the images, some technologies like AES, DES,

RSA, etc. have been invented. With the generation, data security has also become

an essential issue. Considering these issues, the proposed technique ensures

confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. Using these techniques, the host can

encrypt and decrypt the image and can keep the digital images safe. When AES was

chosen 16 years ago, digital technology was completely different from today and the

scale of challenges was smaller, so with recent advanced technology and the

emergence of new applications such as Big Data applications, in addition to

applications running with 64-bit and many other applications have become

necessary to design a new current algorithm for current requirements. Advanced

Encryption Algorithm (AES) is a symmetric algorithm, which we will further discuss in

detail in our research, and in addition to new recommendations for future work, a list

of shortcomings and vulnerabilities of the internal structure of the AES algorithm will

be diagnosed.

Introduction
I. INTRODUCTION

Internet communication plays an important role in transferring a large amount of data

to many users every day. Over the years, with the increase in data security, it

becomes a problem that data is sent through insecure channels that are exposed to
manipulation or attack by malicious users. Various security technologies have been

put in place to ensure that data or messages reach only those who are authorized to

receive them. Cryptography has been one of the main techniques deployed to

secure data through the processes of encryption and decryption. Encryption involves

encoding information to secure data from attackers so that they cannot easily access

it. This process involves turning "images" into invisible "cipher images" using keys,

substitutions, and permutations. In the decryption process, we intend to convert the

encrypted image back to the original plain image without missing any pixel from the

original image. Carrying out both processes involves the use of mathematical

calculations and certain algorithms. The main concern of cryptography is to provide

confidentiality, integrity, non-repudiation, and authentication through encryption and

decryption algorithms. There are various cryptographic techniques symmetric,

asymmetric, and hashing. In this article, we will discuss the AES algorithm which is

symmetric cryptography technique.

II. PREVIOUS WORK

In paper [3] This gives low complexity architecture and easily achieves low latency

as well as high throughput. The design used an iterative looping approach with a

block and key size of 128-bit, lookup table implementation of S-box. Kamali S.H et.

[4] used the modified advanced encryption algorithm to reflect a high level of security

and better image encryption. The modification is done by adjusting the ShiftRow

Transformation. The author has compared the results of the previous AES algorithm

and the modified AES algorithm.

III. PROPOSED WORK

AES is a data encryption algorithm introduced by the US National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2001. The AES algorithm, also known as the

Rijndael algorithm, is a symmetric block cipher algorithm that uses 128,192 or 256

bits. Keys to transform a 128-bit message block into 128-bit ciphertext. This method

makes it strong, secure, and exponentially stronger than DES, which uses a 56-bit

key.

The AES algorithm uses a substitution permutation or SP network with several

rounds to generate the ciphertext. The length of the key used will determine the

number of rounds.

The number of rounds shown in Figure 2, 10, applies to the case where the

encryption key is 128 bits long. The number of cycles is 12 when the key is 192 bits,

and 14 when the key is 256. Before any cycle-based encryption processing can

begin, they converted the digital images into a binary matrix to process it through the

AES encryption algorithm. It is divided into 4*4 matrix for each unit of 8 bits to form

the plain text of the algorithm. The input state field is XORed with the first four bytes

of the key schedule.

The same thing happens during decryption - except now we XOR the state field of

the ciphertext with the last four words of the key schedule.

Byte 00 Byte 01 Byte 02 Byte 03

Byte 04 Byte 05 Byte 06 Byte 07

Byte 12 Byte 13 Byte 14 Bye 15

Figure 1: 4*4 Matrix

For encryption, in each round following 4 steps are performed:

1) Replace bytes, 2) Shift rows, 3) Shuffle columns, and 4) Add round key.

In the last step XOR the output of the previous three steps with four words from the

key schedule.

For decryption, in each round following four steps are performed:

1) Inverse row shift, 2) Inverse spare bytes, 3) Round key addition, and 4) Inverse

column mix.

In the third step XOR the output of the previous two steps with four words from the

key schedule.

The last round for encryption doesn’t contain the “Mix columns” step. The last round

for decryption doesn’t contain the “Inverse mix columns” step.

1. Step 1: This step is named SubBytes for byte-by-byte substitution during the

encryption process. During decryption, the corresponding substitution step is

performed it is called as InvSubBytes. In the subtype step, it is divided into

two equal parts and converts each byte into hexadecimal of the state array.

These parts are the row mapped with a substitution box (S-Box) to generate

new values for the final state array.

2. Step 2: Next step is named ShiftRows for shifting the rows of the state array

during the encryption process. The corresponding transformation during

decryption is called InvShiftRows for Inverse Shift-Row Transformation. It

swaps the row elements among each other. No shift within the first row. In

the second row, it shifts element to one position left It also shifts the elements

from the third row two consecutive positions to the left, and it turns the last

row three positions to the left.

column separately during the encryption process. The corresponding

transformation during decryption is called InvMixColumns and stands for

inverse mix column transformation. In the state array, it multiplies a constant

matrix with each column to get a new column for the subsequent state array.

We will get the state array for the next step, once all the columns are

multiplied with the same constant matrix. This particular step is not to be done

in the last round.

4. Step 4: the last step is called AddRoundKey for adding the round key to the

output of the previous step during the encryption process. The corresponding

step during decryption is named aInvAddRoundKey for inverse add round key

transformation. With the first key generated (K0), we pass the block data

stored in the state array through an XOR function. It passes the output of the

previous state array on as input to the next step.

B. Analysis And Justifications For The Drawbacks Of The Aes Algorithm

After a study and analysis of the internal structure and the algebraic foundation of

the AES cipher, there is evidence that the AES algorithm has many suspicious

aspects and it has suffered from several vulnerabilities from the design term that is

listed below:

1. Most of the development methods of the previous studies for improvement of

AES, focus on increasing the number of rounds or increasing the block size to

increase the security level, but this is not considered the best solution for

development experiments.
 2. In AES encryption, In the process of encryption and decryption unbalanced

structure observed. AES decryption is comparatively slower than encryption

process.

3. When the accumulator repeats thousands of rounds then encryption process

for thousands of bits will provide an obvious time difference between the

encryption and decryption process, so the difference will be clearly visible.

4. AES cipher with secure 128-bit may not be appropriate for big data

applications and other modern big applications like secure cloud storage.

Therefore, these applications with huge data may need a larger algorithm with

a larger order of mathematical and structure foundations.

5. In the last round mixcolumn has no effective role in the security factor whether

it is added or not as it was mentioned by the authors of the AES algorithm.

???????C. Recommendations

After this deep study, there are several important recommendations for future work

that are summarized here:

1. Need to make the improvements in algorithm for balanced in encryption and

decryption process.

2. Model with higher irreducible polynomial and higher mathematical order of

finite field should be implemented to increase security.

3. Eliminate the use of constant values. Use of constant values may increase

risk and can easily get attacked.

4. Key generation technique needs to implement with the real length for the long

keys that comprise 192-bits, 256-bits, and upper that increase the guessing

probability effectively

.
Conclusion
The As mentioned above, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm is one

of the most efficient algorithms and is widely supported and adopted on hardware

and software. Another notable thing about the AES algorithm is that the encryption

and decryption processes are very similar except for a few differences. The basic

aim of this study is to point out weak points and vulnerable points, in addition to

explaining the gaps in the structural elements that can be used in the AES structure.

This paper discussed the properties of the AES algorithm that are the best

alternatives by providing a set of basic diagnostic factors for negative aspects from

the perspective of scientific researchers around the world. In addition to basic

solutions for the development of a modern algorithm, the mentioned research also

includes some future recommendations for designers and academic specialists. The

AES algorithm certainly has some weaknesses, but they are minimal compared to its

strengths.