An optical remote sensing image encryption algorithm for sensitive targets in sea-related scenes

Satellite remote sensing images, obtained through imaging earth from space, are widely used in military and national economic construction. Remote sensing images of sea-related scenes usually contain important military-sensitive information, so there is a risk of information leakage during data transmission. To enhance image security, an optical remote sensing image encryption algorithm is proposed for sensitive targets in sea-related scenarios. The proposed method is divided into two main components: object detection and image encryption. This method first utilizes YOLOv7 for object detection and then selectively encrypts the image by scrambling pixels across three planes and diffusing them cross-plane. A novel chaotic map for generating encryption sequences is also proposed, which combines a discrete Grunwald–Letnikov fractional-order memristor and classical sine map. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and its ability to resist chosen plaintext attack.