Experimental Comparison of Encryption Algorithms  On Smart Devices

Qurban Ali Frugh; Mohammad Fahim Naseri; Musawer Hakimi

doi:10.38043/tiers.v5i2.6039

Authors

Qurban Ali Frugh Kabul Education University
Mohammad Fahim Naseri Kabul Education University
Musawer Hakimi Samangan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38043/tiers.v5i2.6039

Keywords:

encryption algorithms, smart devices, performance, throughput, comparison

Abstract

Now, the technological environments rely on a large number of users and devices interconnected in such a way as to be able to share information and exchange resources. For such reasons, security becomes of prime importance inside these networks. Especially, encryption algorithms widely used in smart metering systems form the very backbone of ensuring security. It is unique according to every single parameter: the level of security achieved, speed, operational complexity, length, and type of key used. A comparison of performance and throughput for the most used encryption algorithms, such as AES-128, AES-192, RC4, Blowfish, and ECDSA, is presented here. Such devices, for instance, smart meters, usually represent very resource-constrained computational capability, memory, and data transfer. For these reasons, the experiments investigate performance impacts of using different encryption algorithms on a smart meter environment in a scaled setup. Experiments were run on a laptop device and then downscaled according to the limitation characteristics of the smart meter target device. As for the scaling, it has been performed concerning key factors: CPU of the smart meter, RAM, and cache memory. Execution times of the encryption and decryption processes were measured, as well as the throughput of messages for various file sizes. Quantitative key results obtained included: RC4 with a throughput of 25.37 Kbytes/sec, whereas AES-128 has 4.87 Kbytes/sec, while in ECDSA-256 the performance is much lower: its verification throughput amounts to 0.0023 Kbytes/sec. The results showed significant variations in performance, speed, and throughput between these algorithms. Even considering small smart devices, the encryption and decryption processes yielded efficient throughputs. These findings underscore the importance of choosing the right encryption algorithm for smart meters, balancing both security requirements and resource limitations to ensure optimal performance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Y. Kumar, R. Munjal and H. Sharma, "Comparison of Symmetric and Asymmetric Cryptography with Existing Vulnerabilities and Countermeasures," International Journal of Computer Science and Management Studies, vol. 03, no. 11, pp. 60 -64, 2011.

R. Marqas, S. M. Almufti and R. Rebar Ihsan, "Comparing Symmetric and Asymmetric cryptography in message encryption and decryption by using AES and RSA algorithms," Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology, vol. XII, no. III, p. 3110, 2020.

M. A. Panhwar and S. A. khuhro, Gha, "SACA: A Study of Symmetric and Asymmetric Cryptographic Algorithms," IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 48 - 56, 2019.

www.engage-consulting.co.uk, "High-level Smart Meter Data Traffic Analysis," Engage Consulting Limited, T 0207 4050740, 2010.

M. M. Fouda , Z. M. Fadlull and N. Kato, "A Lightweight Message Authentication Scheme for Smart Grid Communications," IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SMART GRID, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 675-686, 2011.

W.-K. Yu and S.-F. Wang, "Systematic literature review: comparison study of symmetric key and asymmetric key algorithm," in 2nd Nommensen International Conference on Technology and Engineering IOP Publishing, Mantreal, Canada, 2018.

V. Gopal, J. Guilford and E. Ozturk, "Improving OpenSSL Performace," White Paper, US. California , 2011.

O. G. Abood and S. K. Guirguis, "Enhancing Performance of Advanced Encryption Standard for Data Security," International Journal of Engineering and Information Systems (IJEAIS), vol. 2 , no. 11, pp. 32-38, 2018.

Z. M. Fadlullah, M. M. Fouda and S. Shen, "An Early Warning System Against Malicious Activities for Smart Grid Communications," IEEE Network Magazine, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 1-7, 2011.

K. Alfaheid, A SECURE AND COMPROMISE-RESILIENT ARCHITECTURE FOR ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada: University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), 2011.

M. A. Panhwar and S. A. khuhro, "CA: A Study of Symmetric and Asymmetric Cryptographic," IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, vol. 19 , no. 1, 2019.

S. Singh, P. K. Sharma, S. Y. Moon, and J. H. Park, "Advanced lightweight encryption algorithms for IoT devices: Survey, challenges and solutions," J. Ambient Intell. Humaniz. Comput., pp. 1–18, 2024.

W. Wu, "Application and effectiveness of IoT edge and fog computing technologies in smart energy development with the use of encryption algorithms and security systems," Comput. Informat., vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 1029–1052, 2024.

S. Sicari, A. Rizzardi, G. Dini, P. Perazzo, M. La Manna, and A. Coen-Porisini, "Attribute-based encryption and sticky policies for data access control in a smart home scenario: A comparison on networked smart object middleware," Int. J. Inf. Secur., vol. 20, pp. 695–713, 2021.

C. Silva, V. A. Cunha, J. P. Barraca, and R. L. Aguiar, "Analysis of the cryptographic algorithms in IoT communications," Inf. Syst. Front., vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 1243–1260, 2024.

R. M. A. Al_Azzawi and S. S. M. Al-Dabbagh, "A lightweight encryption algorithm to secure IoT devices," MINAR Int. J. Appl. Sci. Technol., vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 37–62, 2023.

H. Zhou, “Comparison of encryption algorithms for wearable devices in IoT systems,” Eng. Adv., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 144–148, 2023.

S. Maitra, D. Richards, A. Abdelgawad, and K. Yelamarthi, "Performance evaluation of IoT encryption algorithms: Memory, timing, and energy," in 2019 IEEE Sensors Applications Symposium (SAS), Mar. 2019, pp. 1–6.

A. Kaur and G. Singh, "Encryption algorithms based on security in IoT (Internet of Things)," in 2021 6th International Conference on Signal Processing, Computing and Control (ISPCC), Oct. 2021, pp. 482–486.

L. A. Tawalbeh and T. F. Somani, "More secure Internet of Things using robust encryption algorithms against side channel attacks," in 2016 IEEE/ACS 13th International Conference of Computer Systems and Applications (AICCSA), Nov. 2016, pp. 1–6.

B. W. Aboshosha, M. M. Dessouky, and A. Elsayed, "Energy efficient encryption algorithm for low resources devices," ARCHive-SR, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 26–37, 2019.

S. Maitra, D. Richards, A. Abdelgawad, and K. Yelamarthi, "Performance evaluation of IoT encryption algorithms: Memory, timing, and energy," in 2019 IEEE Sensors Applications Symposium (SAS), Mar. 2019, pp. 1–6.