Lightweight ASIC Implementation of AEGIS-128

In this paper, we study the problem of implementing the AEAD scheme, AEGIS-128, which is a finalist in the recently concluded competition, CAESAR. In order to achieve lightweight (least area) implementation, we first look into one round of AES encryption, which is a building block in this cipher. In this regard, we make use of the state-of-the-art implementation of AES in ASIC. We benchmark one round AES encryption (which is done for the first time) and later use it with AEGIS-128 to improve the optimized implementation reported (Inscrypt'14). Synthesis results show that our design requires 9.6% less area and reduces the power consumption by 95.3% (operating frequency is also reduced). Further, this concept can readily be applied to a variety of other ciphers.