Open AccessEnergy efficiency of encryption schemes applied to wireless sensor networks
Author(s) -
Zhang Xueying,
Heys Howard M.,
Li Cheng
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
security and communication networks
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1939-0122
pISSN - 1939-0114
DOI - 10.1002/sec.375
Subject(s) - computer science , block cipher mode of operation , stream cipher , cipher , block cipher , cryptography , encryption , efficient energy use , cbc mac , triple des , computer network , computer engineering , distributed computing , algorithm , computer security , engineering , electrical engineering
In this paper, we focus on the energy efficiency of secure communication in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Our research considers link layer security of WSNs, investigating both the ciphers and the cryptographic implementation schemes, including aspects such as the cipher mode of operation and the establishment of initialization vectors (IVs). We evaluate the computational energy efficiency of different symmetric key ciphers considering both the algorithm characteristics and the effect of channel quality on cipher synchronization. Results show that the computational energy cost of block ciphers is less than that of stream ciphers when data are encrypted and transmitted through a noisy channel. We further investigate different factors affecting the communication energy cost of link layer cryptographic schemes, such as the size of payload, the mode of operation applied to a cipher, the distribution of the IV, and the quality of the communication channel. A comprehensive performance comparison of different cryptographic schemes is undertaken by developing an energy analysis model of secure data transmission at the link layer. This model is constructed considering various factors affecting both the computational cost and communication cost, and its appropriateness is verified by simulation results. In conclusion, we recommend using a block cipher instead of a stream cipher to encrypt data for WSN applications and using a cipher feedback scheme for the cipher operation, thereby achieving energy efficiency without compromising the security in WSNs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.