Constructing symmetric ciphers using the CAST design procedure (Q1369727)

The paper presents a description of the CAST design procedure for the construction of a family of encryption algorithms that besides possessing a number of desirable cryptographic properties also appear to be resistant to differential cryptanalysis, linear cryptanalysis and related-key cryptanalysis as well. First, an overview of the CAST design procedure is given. Four main aspects of a CAST cipher, i.e. s-box design, basic CAST design framework, key schedule and round function design, are briefly discussed here. In the next section a more detailed presentation of these four aspects is given together with a number of assertions, theorems and remarks concerning the cryptographic properties related to each aspect. Finally, alternative design choices are discussed and the whole procedure is illustrated by an example of CAST cipher design.