Secure Selective Image Encryption Based on Wavelet Domain, 3D-Chaotic Map, and Discrete Fractional Random Transform

Abstract

Minimizing the computational volume during cryptography while preserving optimal security has long been a goal of computer scientists. Selective encryption is a scalable trend in multimedia content protection. This study builds on the findings of previous studies. It suggests employing the integer Haar wavelet transform and 3D-chaotic with the discrete fractional random transform to encrypt color images. First, each primary color was wavelet-processed into four sub-bands. The approximation sub-band of the wavelet transformation was encrypted using discrete fractional random. Subsequently, to construct encrypted images, an updated approximation and detailed sub-bands, followed by pixel permutation, were utilized. A secure hash algorithm for a plain image was used to produce encryption keys. Finally, a numerical analysis and robustness evaluations were performed using an encrypted test image. The results demonstrated the high efficiency of the proposed method for image encryption. Additionally, it is secure against a wide range of attacks such as entropy and asymmetric attacks. The proposed solution outperformed the encryption approaches proposed by other researchers in terms of security and performance evaluation when using images. Therefore, it fills the gaps in the literature on state-of-the-art methods.