Secure image transmission through crypto-OFDM system using Rubik's cube algorithm over an AWGN channel

Confidentiality of information must be maintained when it is required to be transmitted over a communication channel or when it is stored in a computer for further information access. Establishing a highly reliable and secure means of wireless communication for the transfer of digital data (text, images, audio, and video) from source to destination is becoming a prime requirement in present-day wireless communications. Security can be achieved at the network level as well as at the data level. Data-level security is made through cryptographic techniques. This paper emphasizes data-level security aspects in a wireless communication system for the secure transmission of images over an AWGN channel condition. Here, a crypto orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system (crypto-OFDM system) is designed using Rubik's cube encryption algorithm scheme for secured transmission of images under the MATLAB environment. The quality of the image transmission is analyzed using peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and BER at different SNR conditions. The quality of the encryption algorithm was also tested with statistical metrics, which are the histogram, NPCR, UACI, entropy, correlation coefficient analysis, etc. The numerical results reveal that a DCT-based crypto-OFDM system with Rubik's cube algorithm show a better performance over earlier cryptosystems and also perform superior to the original/basic OFDM system. The statistical analysis tests prove that Rubik's cube algorithm is one of the most robust algorithms for security point of view and is easy to implement, as Rubik's cube algorithm makes use of natural characteristics of pixel values, which form the basis for designing the secret key.