Encryption algorithms comparisons for wireless networked sensors

Due to the seriously limited system resources in wireless networked sensors, security solutions applied in traditional networks may not be directly suitable for protecting them. In this paper, we focus on the appropriate encryption algorithms comparisons for sensor networks with harsh resource constraints. At first, we make a survey of the potential cryptographic algorithms suitable for wireless networked sensors, including RC5, which was chosen by SPINS for the Atmega in UC Berkeley, and some other fast algorithms. Then, we analyze the required memory and evaluate the performance of algorithms implementation in detail. Finally, we conclude that RC5 is not best suitable for wireless networked sensors.