Enhancing image security via chaotic maps, Fibonacci, Tribonacci transformations, and DWT diffusion: a robust data...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity
• Information Security

Background:

• Existing image encryption schemes face challenges in balancing robust security with real-time application efficiency.
• Many methods excel in either security or speed, but not both, creating a need for improved approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a robust and efficient grayscale image encryption framework.
• To enhance data security for digital images through a multi-phase encryption process.
• To achieve high security without compromising processing speed for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• A five-phase encryption framework involving secret key generation using chaotic maps.
• Integration of Fibonacci Transformation (FT) and Tribonacci Transformation (TT) for pixel scrambling and diffusion.
• Multi-level diffusion using bit-plane decomposition, XOR operations, and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with substitution box (S-box).

Main Results:

• The proposed encryption framework demonstrated high robustness, validated by statistical tests (entropy 7.999, correlation 0.0001, histogram variance 6458).
• Achieved processing time under one second, indicating suitability for real-time applications.
• Comparative analysis showed superior performance over existing chaos-based, DWT, TT, and FT encryption methods.

Conclusions:

• The proposed encryption scheme effectively balances robust security and real-time processing requirements.
• Its multi-layered approach provides strong resistance against various cyberattacks.
• The method is a promising solution for secure grayscale image transmission and storage.