DNA-Inspired Image Encryption: Leveraging Chaos for Enhanced Security

In the realm of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), safeguarding visual data is paramount to prevent unauthorized access and tampering. This paper presents a new approach to image encryption, harnessing the power of DNA sequences and chaos models tailored for IIoT environments. The proposed algorithm employs DNA trees to establish a unique correspondence between pixels and DNA bases, facilitating robust encryption. The secret key, an integral component, offers independence and flexibility in generating chaotic variables crucial for encryption. The encryption process encompasses DNA sequence conversion, chaos-based image generation, and multi-round permutation and substitution steps. Experimental results underscore the algorithm's efficacy, demonstrating better statistical security for cipher images within short timeframes. Histograms exhibit flat distributions with low correlation values, approaching theoretical entropy values. Comparative performance analysis reveals the algorithm's superiority over state-of-the-art counterparts. This innovative algorithm holds promise for embedding devices within IIoT environments, enabling efficient pre-processing steps and facilitating the generation of cipher images with minimal energy consumption. Its versatility extends to accommodating various image sizes, ensuring dynamic image cipher creation with high-quality security measures.