Key controlled block-cipher cryptographic system employing a

Abstract

A cryptographic system for enciphering a block of binary data under the control of a unique key consisting of a set of binary symbols. A clear message represented in binary data format is transformed into a cipher message (and vise versa) by operating on blocks of clear information utilizing the operations of directional shifting of a derivative form of said clear data in a multidimensional matrix shifting and storage device. Further, cryptographic power is introduced to the system by performing a non-affine substitution operation during a shift operation on segments of information stored in said matrix. The shifting function, as well as the substitution function, is a function of said unique key. The system is further mathematically invertible, that is, the same hardware may be utilized for both encipherment and decipherment by merely reversing the sequence of operations.