Analyzing the Performance of the Advanced Encryption Standard Block Cipher Modes of Operation: Highlighting the National Institute of Standards and Technology Recommendations

Abstract

When using a symmetric encryption algorithm, specifically the AES, the Block Cipher Mode of Operation to be used must be specified. Usually choosing the mode of operation is influenced by two main factors: 1. Security; and the 2. Performance of the mode. Most of the related literature explores the security of the modes. In contrast, this research paper explores, compares and evaluates the performance of the five modes of operation recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). A code using Crypto++ cryptographic library has been developed to benchmark the performance of these modes. Based on the conducted experiments and obtained results, the Counter mode of operation has been found generally superior to the other four modes of operation in terms of performance especially when increasing the input size.