Enhanced image hash using cellular automata with sponge construction and elliptic curve cryptography for secure image...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Cryptography
• Information Security

Background:

• Digital communication advancements necessitate robust security for sensitive data, particularly images.
• Existing hash algorithms often lack the required security, efficiency, and adaptability for image-based cryptographic applications.
• Image data security is a critical challenge in modern digital environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel hybrid hash algorithm for enhanced image security.
• To address the limitations of current hash algorithms in cryptographic applications.
• To develop a secure and efficient solution for digital image storage and transactions.

Main Methods:

• Integration of Cellular Automata (CA) for unpredictability and diffusion.
• Utilization of sponge functions for variable-length input and fixed-length output.
• Incorporation of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) for collision resistance and nonlinearity.

Main Results:

• The hybrid algorithm exhibits improved diffusion properties, reducing vulnerability to differential cryptanalysis.
• Sponge construction ensures scalability for diverse image data sizes.
• ECC operations enhance resistance to preimage and collision attacks, ensuring robust security.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hybrid hash algorithm offers a synergistic combination of CA, sponge functions, and ECC for superior security and efficiency.
• This design is particularly suitable for lightweight cryptographic scenarios.
• The scheme provides a promising platform for secure image transactions, resilient against advanced cryptanalytic attacks.