Nowadays, computer systems generate and exchange digital data frequently. At the same time, they face a range of threats, which is much broader than it was in the past. Within the context of this unsafe environment, quick and secure data protection is of particular importance. In this paper, a lightweight block cipher algorithm called lightweight encryption (LWE) is presented. The aim is to develop an encryption algorithm, which is light enough for restricted/limited hardware environments and secure enough to endure primal cryptanalysis attacks. The length of blocks to be encrypted is set to 64 bits and the key length is defined as 64 bits. The proposed algorithm is intended for referred to as Internet of Things (IoT) systems with low-end microcontrollers and body sensor area devices. The performance and security aspects of the LWE are evaluated using well-known algorithms. It is observed that the proposed LWE can establish a security baseline for transmitting raw data without creating a heavy load on the network infrastructure.
Cite this article as: Toprak S, Akbulut A, Aydın MA, Zaim AH. LWE: An Energy-Efficient Lightweight Encryption Algorithm for Medical Sensors and IoT Devices. Electrica, 2020; 20(1): 72-81.