The report of the current status of korean block cipher algorithm

Abstract

Block algorithm is a symmetric algorithm which handles a message in block unit, and typical Korean block algorithms are SEED, ARIA, and HIGHT. These algorithms share the same characteristics that they are well used in Korea, and are safe enough against all known attacks. However there are not many reports that explain how these algorithms are used nowadays, and what needs to be improved. In this paper, the current state of these algorithms will be introduced, including usage, efficiency, inconveniences and some important researches on them. For the latest information, I chose Intel i7 to measure speed of algorithms, and analyzed their efficiency. SEED and ARIA are less efficient than AES, each by 2 times and 1.5 times, respectively. HIGHT is a different kind of algorithm that is suitable for hardware implementation, and is especially effective in power and energy consumption. In addition, another lightweight algorithm, LEA, which is software-oriented, will be introduced.