Architecture Design of an Area Efficient High Speed Crypto Processor for 4G LTE

The whole security architecture of LTE/SAE (Long Term Evolution/System Architecture Evolution) is being consisted of four main hardware-oriented cryptographic algorithms: KASUMI block ciphers, SNOW-3G stream cipher, the MILENAGE algorithm set, and the 4G development of ZUC algorithm. This paper presents an FPGA deployment of a universal security architecture crypto processor for 4G LTE, consisting of both four ciphers enabling each one on demand, which is based on two novel design principles. One is a more intelligent implementation of the four algorithm's substitution boxes (S-boxes) based on a common intersection assumption of their contents. The second includes the use of a common data path hardware block deployed along the four cipher's architectural design. This universal security architecture crypto processor proves to reduce the area space at least 1.5 times, and also provides almost double throughput compared with the state-of-the-art realizations of the individual ciphers, something which is a high necessity when producing components for the demanding post-4G cellular market.