FPGA implementation of cellular automata based encryption algorithm for internet communications

This paper presents a cryptographic system based on cellular automata (CA) theory. The entire encryption system is implemented in reconfigurable hardware (FPGA) and it is used to protect data sent over the internet. It is shown how a series of simple elements called “cells” interact between each other using certain rules and topologies to form a larger system further used to encrypt/decrypt data. The complexity analysis of the specific security system has been discussed in support of the fact that simple, modular hardware oriented design of CA based security is ideally suited for network communications. An experimental hardware platform based on a reconfigurable FPGA of type Spartan 3E Starter Board - XC3S500E was used in order to verify the proposed encryption algorithm.