Visually meaningful image encryption using data hiding and chaotic compressive sensing

A visually secure multiple image encryption using chaotic map and compressive sensing is proposed. The existing image encryption algorithms transform a secret image into a random noise like cipher image which can lead to cryptanalysis by an intruder. In the proposed method, compressive sampling is done using a chaos based, key controlled measurement matrix. An image dependent key generation scheme is used to generate the parameters of the chaotic map. The secret images are transformed into wavelet coefficients, and scrambled along a zigzag path, so that the high correlation among them can be reduced and thereby provide increased security level. The sparse coefficients are measured using the chaotic map-based measurement matrix, whose initial parameters are obtained from the keys generated. Then the reduced measurements are embedded into the sub-bands of the wavelet transformed cover image. Therefore, the proposed algorithm is highly sensitive to the secret images and can effectively withstand known-plaintext and chosen-plaintext attacks. Additionally, the cipher image and the secret images are of same size and do not require additional transmission bandwidth and storage space.