1. A method comprising: receiving, by an integrated circuit, input data of a Galois field GF(2.sup.k); mapping the input data to a composite Galois field GF(2.sup.nm), wherein k=nm; inputting the mapped input data to an Advanced Encryption Standard round function, wherein the Advanced Encryption Standard round function comprises bypassing an affine transformation block of a datapath when the input data is to be decrypted; performing, by the integrated circuit, two or more iterations of the Advanced Encryption Standard round function in the composite Galois field GF(2.sup.nm); receiving output data of a last of the two or more iterations of the Advanced Encryption Standard round function; and mapping the output data to the Galois field GF(2.sup.k).