Moatsum Alawida, Je Sen Teh
The rapid proliferation of smart IoT devices has heightened the need for secure and efficient mechanisms to ensure the dependability of high-resolution image transmission while preserving computational performance. Current encryption methods often struggle to achieve a balance between robust security and resource efficiency, particularly in resource-constrained IoT environments such as smart cameras, mobile devices, and home automation systems. This paper introduces a novel lightweight image encryption algorithm designed to meet the stringent performance, security, and dependability requirements of IoT systems. The proposed algorithm incorporates a dynamic key expansion mechanism, a three-dimensional (3D) substitution box (S-box) structure, and a tightly integrated permutation process to enhance security and scalability. By dynamically adapting the key generation and encryption processes to image size, the scheme efficiently operates within a single encryption round while maintaining strong diffusion and confusion properties. The integrated permutation and substitution phases are optimized to enhance resilience against cryptographic attacks, such as differential and statistical attacks. Experimental evaluations on IoT devices validate the proposed algorithm's dependability and security, as demonstrated through rigorous correlation tests, entropy analyses, and sensitivity assessments. Comparative studies further establish the algorithm's superior performance in securing multimedia content while adhering to the real-time processing constraints of IoT systems. This work contributes a dependable and secure encryption framework for modern IoT applications, addressing the critical need for privacy and data integrity in increasingly connected environments.