Efficient symmetric image encryption by using a novel 2D chaotic system

Abstract

The authors know that a common and effective way to protect digital images security are to encrypt these images into white noise image. In this study, the authors have designed a new two-dimensional (2D) chaotic system which is derived from two existing one-dimensional (1D) chaotic maps. The simulation results show that the new 2D chaotic system is able to produce many 2D chaotic maps by selecting different 1D chaotic maps, and which have the wider chaotic ranges and more complex chaotic behaviours compared with the existing 1D chaotic maps. In order to investigate its applications, using the proposed 2D chaotic maps, the authors design a novel image encryption algorithm. First of all, the original image is scrambled by using the chaotic sequences which are generated by new 2D chaotic maps, Arnold transform and Hilbert curve. Then the scrambled image is confused and diffused by chaotic sequences. Finally, the performance of the proposed encryption algorithm is simulated and the experimental results show that the validity and reliability of the proposed algorithm is validated.