Scytale -- An Evolutionary Cryptosystem

Abstract: With the advent of quantum computing, and other advancements in computation and processing capabilities of modern systems, there arises a need to develop new trapdoor functions that will serve as the foundation for a new generation of encryption schemes. This paper explores the possibility of one such potential trapdoor function using concepts stemming from Reversible Cellular Automata (RCA) -- specifically, the Critter's Rule set up in a Margolus Neighborhood. The proposed block encryption algorithm discusses how sensitive data can be manipulated and converted efficiently into a two dimensional sequence of bits, that can be iteratively evolved using the rules of the RCA and a private key to achieve a desirable level of encryption within a reasonable runtime. The performance benchmark and analysis results exemplify how well the proposed encryption algorithm stands against different forms of attacks.