Evaluating the impact of AES encryption algorithm on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems

Securing computer systems has become of vital importance especially with the sophistication and advancement of attacking tools and techniques. Therefore, it is critical to apply security mechanisms that are capable of protecting systems in a way that ensures and provides major security services. However, providing a system with security services comes at the expense of system performance. The resource-intensive nature of effective security mechanisms may have a negative impact on certain aspects of system performance. A major security service that is required in computer networks and information systems is confidentiality which ensures that transmitted data are protected from unauthorized disclosure. Encryption is the security mechanism that is used to provide confidentiality. Prior to transmitting sensitive data over an information channel, encryption algorithms transforms data into a form that is not readily intelligible. On the side of the receiver, a decryption operation takes place to recover the original form of the sent data. Clearly, encryption and decryption operations have their impact on the performance of the system. This study investigates the impact of providing confidentiality services on the performance of systems. The study takes Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems - which are used to make voice calls over the Internet - as an example of systems that are greatly affected by performance degradation. The study measures how key VoIP performance parameters are impacted when Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption algorithms is implemented, and whether that impact falls within the tolerable levels.