A Secure Lightweight Cryptographic Algorithm for the Internet of Things (IoT) Based on Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Sequences

Abstract

The widespread adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) across various domains has ushered numerous applications into our daily lives. Ensuring the security of sensitive data, including wirelessly transmitted private information and images generated by IoT devices is paramount. However, IoT devices are often termed “constraint devices” due to their limited computational resources like CPU power or memory capacity. Also, ensuring the integrity of IoT devices and networks is imperative in fostering trust in the capabilities and benefits of IoT technology. Addressing data tampering, device vulnerabilities, and network weaknesses through proactive security measures is essential in realizing the full potential of the IoT while safeguarding against potential risks and disruptions. Traditional encryption approaches prove inadequate, as they demand excessive computational power; this is a challenge for IoT devices. To address this, a novel and less intrusive encryption method has been proposed, leveraging the inherent unpredictability of DNA nucleotide sequences. This approach is tailored to accommodate the resource constraints of IoT devices. By harnessing the intrinsic randomness of DNA sequences, a robust secret key is generated, significantly bolstering resilience against attackers. The key is crafted through uncomplicated substitution techniques and transposition operations. Upon satisfying the computational requisites of IoT devices and safeguarding image security, a DNA-based key comes into play for photo encryption. Rigorous testing has demonstrated its effectiveness, showcasing its superior attributes in terms of key size, encryption speed, and distortion minimization when compared to alternative encryption techniques. This innovative encryption paradigm not only upholds the integrity of IoT-generated data but does so without overwhelming the devices’ limited computing capabilities.