Genetic Crossover at the RNA Level for Secure Medical Image Encryption

Abstract

In this study, we will describe a novel cryptographic system leveraging a genetic crossover process based on a scheme specifically tailored for encrypting medical images, operating at the level of ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequences. Initially, an extraction of the three-color channels and their conversion into vectors involving confusion and diffusion is conducted, followed by a pseudo-random transformation into RNA notation. A genetic crossover with a pseudo-random vector generated from chaotic maps and controlled by a pseudo-random crossover table is applied to generate a new RNA gene with significantly enhanced performance, inheriting genetic properties from both crossed genes to address unforeseen attacks. A sample of diverse images randomly selected from several databases is tested by our cryptographic system, yielding highly promising results.