Encryption of images based on genetic algorithm - A new approach

Abstract

The security of digital images has become increasingly more important in today's highly computerized and interconnected world. In this work a new image encryption technique is proposed which is based on genetic algorithm. The method comprises three stages. The first stage is selection of key sequence. Linear congruential pseudo random generator is used for key sequence generation. The crossover operation is performed in the second stage. In third stage, mutation operation is performed on the result obtained from the previous stage. The proposed method combines both transposition and substitution techniques to secure the data. The results obtained are analyzed through histograms. Performance of the proposed algorithm is measured in terms of correlation coefficient. The analysis carried out reveals that the proposed algorithm works successfully for all types of images. © 2012 Springer-Verlag GmbH.