Modern Cryptanalysis: Techniques for Advanced Code Breaking

Chapter 4. Block Ciphers

So far, we have covered basic mathematics for studying encryption algorithms and even learned how to use several forms of asymmetric algorithms (ones that usually have a split key, a private and a public key). Before progressing further into modern symmetric algorithms (ones where both parties share the same key), we need to have an overview of the different forms of block ciphers.

To review, a block cipher is one that takes more than one character (or bit) at a time, processes them together (either encryption or decryption), and outputs another block. A block usually consists of a contiguous set of bits that is a power of 2 in size; common sizes are 32, 64, 128, and 256 bits. (A block size of 8 or 16 bits would possibly mean that it is not so much a stream cipher, but more just a character-for-character cipher, like we studied earlier.)

The simplest example of a block cipher is the columnar transposition cipher studied above. However, columnar transposition ciphers are based on character transformations and have variable block size, depending on the column size chosen. The ciphers studied from here on out are used in digital computers and thus will normally have bit operations.

Before the 20th century, people normally wanted to send messages consisting of text. This required operations on letters and blocks of letters, since these messages were written, either by hand or perhaps type; thus, the tools and techniques of cryptography were focused on letters and ...