Image Encryption Algorithms

Summary

Many algorithms specifically designed for encrypting digital images are proposed since mid-1990s. There are two major groups of image encryption algorithms: non-chaos selective methods, and chaos-based selective or non-selective methods. Most of these algorithms are designed for a specific image format (compressed or uncompressed), and some of them are even format compliant. There are schemes that offer a light encryption (degradation), while other offer stronger form of encryption. Some of the algorithms are even scalable and have different modes ranging from degradation to strong encryption. The user is expected to choose a method based on its properties, so that it best suits a given image security application.