A novel image encryption algorithm using pixel shuffling and pixel intensity reversal

Abstract

Visual cryptography is process to hide information of digital images which has become an active area of research during the last decades. Because of intrinsic features of images (i.e. bulk data capacity, high redundancy etc) encryption of images is different from that of texts and it is generally difficult to handle by traditional methods. Present study proposes a novel symmetric image encryption algorithm using pixel shuffling and reversed binary string of pixel intensity value. Here, the size of the proposed Key_row and Key_col vectors are same as the no of rows and no of columns of the original image. For each pixel, initially binary pattern of pixel intensity value is reversed. In the next step, the new intensity value is stored at a shuffled position. The pixel position is shuffled using two key vectors-Key_row and Key_col. The proposed method is applied on benchmark images and assessment of performance is done using different standard metric for key testing-histogram, correlation, entropy, NPCR and UACI between the original and encrypted image. Theoretical analysis and experimental results both confirm that proposed algorithm possesses high security and can resist statistical and differential attacks.