A novel and secure approach for real-time UAV video communication

Purpose The objective of this study is to enhance the security of real unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-captured video data by introducing a robust chaotic-based video encryption framework that effectively mitigates security vulnerabilities. Design/methodology/approach This research purposes a novel 1D nonlinear trigonometric chaotic map (NTCM) for encrypting real UAV-captured videos. A video encryption algorithm is developed using this map. The encryption scheme comprises of two main stages and operates on individual video frame. (1) novel chaotic permutation, implemented using a bishop traversal-based nonlinear system, and (2) novel chaotic diffusion, achieved by a hybrid Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)-chaotic diffusion technique driven by the sane chaotic map and a pseudorandom key. Finally, all cipher frames are merged to produce the cipher video. Findings The proposed NTCM exhibits a larger chaotic spectrum, a high Lyapunov exponent, and reliably passes the National Institute of Standards and Technology tests. Experimental evaluation confirms that the encryption approach provides strong resistance against unauthorized access. Originality/value We introduce a novel 1D NTCM for encrypting real UAV-captured videos. The research also presents a video encryption algorithm developed using this map. The encryption scheme comprises a bishop-traversal-based chaotic permutation with hybrid DNA-chaotic diffusion technique performed on each frame. The nonlinear chaotic system implements the bishop traversal-based chaotic permutation. The same chaotic map along with the pseudorandom key is employed to perform chaos-driven DNA diffusion.