Comparative study of symmetric cryptographic algorithms

Abstract

This article provides an unbiased comparison of the most popular and commonly used algorithms in the field of data encryption. The capacity to secure data from various attacks, as well as the elapsed time and efficiency of data encryption, are the main features that distinguish encryption algorithms. We compared the most prevalent symmetric encryption algorithms, including DES, 3DES, Blowfish, MARS, and AES, in this study. Each algorithm was compared by processing data blocks of various sizes to estimate encryption and decryption speeds and compare entropy. The given comparison takes into account the behavior and performance of the algorithms while utilizing varied data loads because the main objective is to execute these algorithms with various settings. We also looked at characteristics including flexibility, key extension possibilities, potential attacks, entropy, and security vulnerability of the algorithms, all of which affect the cryptosystem’s efficiency.