An Image Encryption Method Based on a High-performance and Efficient Block Cipher

In this paper, an efficient and high-performance image encryption method with high key and plain-image sensitivity. The encryption process is designed by using a low-cost block cipher like the PRESENT cipher. The proposed method has a simple structure with minimum computations. The block size and key size in the cipher are 128-bit. The structure is designed by using different operations such as non-linear substitution box (S-box), permutation, and Pre-processing units for key and plain-image. These operations provide confusion and diffusion properties for a secure image encryption system. To increase the key and plain-image sensitivity, the main key and input image are changed based on the Pre-processing units. The presented method does not depend on the input image and bit pattern of the main key. In other words, the encryption image has no information that is affected by the input data. The security analyses such as correlation coefficient analysis, histogram analysis, entropy, key sensitivity, and differential attack (the number of pixel change rate (NPCR) and the unified average changing intensity (UACI) values) are performed on encrypted images. The achieved results for the proposed structure are close to that of a completely random image with high security.