The block cipher NSABC (public domain)

TL;DR

This paper introduces NSABC, a new block cipher based on algebraic group operations, designed for w-bit words, with a structure inspired by Skipjack, and optimized for efficient software implementation.

Contribution

It presents a novel algebraic block cipher, NSABC, replacing Skipjack's structure with a w-bit operation, and details its design, security considerations, and efficient implementation.

Findings

Efficient software implementation on x86-64 processors.

Uses algebraic group operations for encryption and decryption.

Incorporates a tweak for enhanced security and flexibility.

Abstract

We introduce NSABC/w -- Nice-Structured Algebraic Block Cipher using w-bit word arithmetic, a 4w-bit analogous of Skipjack [NSA98] with 5w-bit key. The Skipjack's internal 4-round Feistel structure is replaced with a w-bit, 2-round cascade of a binary operation (x,z)\mapsto(x\boxdot z)\lll(w/2) that permutes a text word x under control of a key word z. The operation \boxdot, similarly to the multiplication in IDEA [LM91, LMM91], bases on an algebraic group over w-bit words, so it is also capable of decrypting by means of the inverse element of z in the group. The cipher utilizes a secret 4w-bit tweak -- an easily changeable parameter with unique value for each block encrypted under the same key [LRW02] -- that is derived from the block index and an additional 4w -bit key. A software implementation for w=64 takes circa 9 clock cycles per byte on x86-64 processors.