Published Paper Details:

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a cornerstone of modern cryptographic systems, widely utilized to ensure data security in a variety of applications. This thesis explores the optimization of AES for Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) implementations, focusing on techniques to improve performance, efficiency, and security. Key optimization strategies such as parallelism, pipelining, SubBytes optimization, and key schedule enhancements are examined in detail. Various hardware architectures, including bit-slice, byte-slice, pipelined, and round-based designs, are analyzed to understand their impact on performance metrics like throughput, latency, area utilization, and power consumption. A comprehensive security analysis evaluates the VLSI implementations' resistance against classical cryptographic attacks and sophisticated side-channel attacks. Countermeasures such as power consumption randomization, constant-time execution, and electromagnetic shielding are discussed to bolster the hardware's resilience. The thesis concludes with a discussion on future work, emphasizing the potential of emerging technologies like post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, advanced fabrication techniques, adaptive architectures, and the integration of machine learning for further enhancing the security and performance of AES hardware implementations. This research aims to contribute to the development of robust and efficient AES hardware, ensuring the continued protection of sensitive data in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.