SELF-SYNCHRONIZING, STREAM-ORIENTED DATA ENCRYPTION TECHNIQUE

摘要

In an encryption system, a serial data stream is demultiplexed into a plurality N of encryptor input data streams to form a sequence of encryptor input data slices applied to an encryptor (10) having a cascade of stages (18). Each stage includes a mapping function (20) and a delay function (22), the mapping function performing a stage-specific direct mapping of data slice values to corresponding generally different data slice values, and the delay function applying stage-specific and generally different delays to individual symbols of data slices. Encrypted data slices generated by the last stage of the encryptor are transmitted through a transmission channel and received at a decryptor (12) having a cascade of stages (26). Each decryptor stage includes an equalizing delay function (28) and an inverse mapping function (30) to generate output data slices from input data slices. Each output data slice of the last decryptor stage comprises respective values at a given time of a set of N decryptor output data streams, which are multiplexed together to recover the serial data stream.