Approved algorithmic security enhancement of stream cipher for advanced mobile communications.

Confidentiality and integrity processes are based on SNOW and ZUC algorithms. These standardized algorithms are designed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for advanced mobile communication systems. Each algorithm has two S-boxes in its nonlinear layer structure. This paper proposes three different approaches to enhance the security level of both algorithms. The first approach aims to select the best combination of two S-boxes in the nonlinear part of each algorithm. Results showed that the best randomness properties are achieved by combining the Feistel structure (S1-box) and Rijndael (S2-box) in the SNOW algorithm and New Rijndael (S1-box) and Rijndael (S2-box) in the ZUC algorithm. The second approach aims to increase the nonlinearity and complexity of these algorithms by selecting a strong S-box to cascade the best-existing two S-boxes for both algorithms. The third approach is an extension of the former, based on a dynamic reform of such S-boxes as a function of the "Authentication Token" to increase the computational complexity of the upgraded two algorithms. These proposed upgrades are simulated by C language and tested successfully for their statistical properties using the standard NIST SP 800-22 test suite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]