A novel energy-efficient encryption algorithm for secure data in WSNs

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are typically deployed environments, often very hostile and without assistance. A certain level of security must be provided. However, the resource constraint is the most important characteristic of this network. Indeed, WSNs are limited in terms of calculation, CPU, battery, etc. Therefore, a solution that aims to conserve these resources is widely desired. In this paper, we focus on the problem of encryption algorithm complexity. Some of the existing encryption algorithms provide high calculation cost, require large memory and are not applicable for WSNs scenarios. Based on Feistel structure, we propose a novel ultra-lightweight encryption algorithm, named ULEA. Besides diffusion and confusion of data, ULEA assumes minor encryption rounds with simplified transformations and functions to complex the cipher. The security analysis and experimental results suggest that the ULEA algorithm is an appropriate, low storage space, energy-efficient encryption process with high security for WSNs.