Design of a tamper-resistant DNA-based image encryption scheme by assimilating modified one-dimensional chaotic map and distinctive column diffusion technique

Cryptographic techniques have become a fundamental component of secure multimedia communication systems. Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data is increasingly critical for protecting sensitive information, especially with the rapid growth of multimedia applications transmitted over public and insecure networks. Consequently, robust cryptographic mechanisms are required to safeguard data from unauthorized access, interception, and tampering. In this article, a modified six-parameter chaotic map is proposed that exhibits stable and controllable chaotic dynamics, with positive Lyapunov exponents over a wide range of control parameters. The proposed map produces higher Lyapunov values and a wider chaotic region, demonstrating stronger sensitivity to initial conditions and greater dynamical complexity than classical chaotic maps. By iterating the proposed chaotic map, six independent key streams are generated and utilized to construct a robust image cryptosystem incorporating multiple diffusion mechanisms to enhance security. These mechanisms include: (i) vertical diffusion, implemented in a novel manner to maximize inter-pixel dependency; (ii) binary-level diffusion, applied after partitioning the matrix into blocks using a DNA-based encoding technique; and (iii) array-level diffusion, which further propagates the influence of each key across the data. Finally, the diffused matrix is scrambled using one of the generated key streams, introducing an additional layer of confusion to resist potential cryptanalytic attacks. Comprehensive statistical and security analyses are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed cryptosystem. Experimental results demonstrate that the encryption algorithm achieves a high level of security and efficiency, exhibiting strong robustness against various attacks, including statistical, differential, and brute-force attacks. The integration of chaotic key generation, multi-level diffusion mechanisms, and final matrix scrambling significantly enhances data confidentiality and integrity while providing effective resistance against cryptanalytic threats.