Chaos-based Stream Cipher for Embedded Systems

This paper presents a novel lightweight stream cipher for embedded systems based on chaos theory. The proposed cipher exploits the two-dimensional discretized Cat and Standard maps to generate highly effective key streams. Chaotic maps are utilized to construct MixBytes and PerBits layers, ensuring strong cryptographic properties for the resulting cipher. The hardware implementation demonstrates that the proposed diffusion layer is an optimal choice for a stream cipher, as it minimizes resource utilization. Consequently, this study highlights the considerable potential of the proposed chaos-based stream cipher to enhance the security of communication in embedded systems characterized by limited resources.