"Implementation of the Advanced Encryption Standard on a Field Programmable Gate Array"
Peggy Winkler 2007
Abstract
Information security is a growing concern with the evolution of the Internet and other communications networks. One of the best assurances of private communication is the use of robust encryption. The Advanced Encryption Standards (AES) is the cryptographic algorithm of choice for many applications today and is of great interest to the author. Developing an understanding of the algorithm leads naturally into the study of finite field theory, which shall form a major component of the work. Also, while the principles, tools, and techniques of software design necessarily compose the main part of the computer science curriculum, hardware design cannot be covered in any great depth, and it is the goal of the author to explore this area further through the study of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The culmination of the study will be the implementation of the AES algorithm on an FPGA.