Performance Analysis of Chaotic Encryption Using a Shared Image as a Key

Most of the secret key encryption algorithms in use today are designed based on either the feistel structure or the substitution-permutation structure. This paper focuses on data encryption technique using multi-scroll chaotic natures and a publicly shared image as a key. A key is generated from the shared image using a full period pseudo random multiplicative LCG. Then, multi-scroll chaotic attractors are generated using a hysteresis switched, second order linear system. The bits of the image of the chaotic attractors are mixed with a plaintext to obtain a ciphertext. The plaintext can be recovered from the ciphertext during the deciphering process only by mixing the cipher with a chaos generated using the same secret key. As validated by a functional, NIST randomness, and Monte Carlo simulation tests, the cipher is very much diffused and not prone to statistical or selected cipher attacks. In addition, the performance is measured and analyzed using such metrics as encryption time, encryption throughput, power consumption and compared with such existing encryption algorithms as AES and RSA. Then, the performance analysis and simulation results verify that the chaotic based data encryption algorithm is valid. Key Words: Secret key encryption, shared image, hysteresis switched second order system, multiplicative LCG, chaotic attractors, randomness.