AN ENHANCED MULTI-LAYERED IMAGE ENCRYPTION SCHEME USING 2D HYPERCHAOTIC CROSS-SYSTEM AND LOGISTIC MAP WITH ROUTE TRANSPOSITION

In the rapidly evolving digital era, image encryption has become a crucial technique to protect visual data from the threat of information leakage. However, the main challenge in image encryption is improving security against cryptanalysis attacks, such as brute-force and differential attacks, which can compromise the integrity of the encrypted image. Additionally, the creation of efficient and fast encryption schemes that do not degrade image quality remains a significant challenge. This research proposes a multi-layer image encryption scheme that integrates the Logistic Map algorithm, Cross 2D Hyperchaotic (C2HM) system, and Route Transposition techniques. The method aims to enhance the security of digital image encryption by combining chaotic and hyperchaotic systems. The Logistic Map is used to generate a sequence of random values with high chaotic properties, while C2HM contributes to increasing complexity and variability. The Route Transposition technique is applied to scramble pixel positions, further strengthening the encryption’s randomness. The encryption key is derived from a combination of the image hash and user key, which are then used to calculate the initial seed in the chaotic algorithm. Experiments were conducted using standard images with a resolution of 512×512 pixels. The security analysis includes evaluations of NPCR, UACI, histogram analysis, and information entropy. The experimental results show that NPCR consistently exceeds 99.5%, while UACI ranges between 33.23% and 33.56%, indicating high sensitivity to minor changes. Histogram analysis demonstrates an even intensity distribution, and the information entropy value of 7.999 reflects an exceptionally high level of randomness. Robustness tests also indicate that this method can maintain image integrity even when subjected to damage or data loss.