An image encryption scheme based on a single-resolution Daubechies wavelet transform and pyramid algorithm
Muntadher Talib Nayyef, Nasri Sulaiman, Wan Zuha Wan Hasan, Mohd Amrallah Mustafa, Siti Lailatul Mohd Hassan, Mokhalad Alghrairi, Mohammed Sadiq, Iman Shihab Hassoon · Open Engineering · 2026
Abstract In the age of digital media and communication security, image encryption is essential for protecting sensitive information. The image creation is rapidly progressed and it transmission across unprotected networks, which has created an urgent demand for the development of security software. The safeguarding of sensitive images from unwanted access propels the quest for sophisticated picture encryption techniques. This study introduces a novel and robust image encryption framework designed to enhance data security. The proposed method employs the generation of filters for the Single-Resolution Daubechies Wavelet Transform (SR-DWT) through the Pyramid Algorithm (PA). The principal advantage of this approach lies in its efficiency, as the filters are uniquely generated for each user, in contrast to relying solely on permutation keys. Consequently, the scheme achieves low computational complexity while ensuring a high level of cryptographic strength, given that every pixel undergoes dual scrambling – across both columns and rows – followed by permutation. To validate its effectiveness, the proposed encryption method was rigorously evaluated using a range of tests, including information entropy, histogram analysis, correlation metrics, differential and noise-based attacks, as well as cropping resistance, applied to widely used images. Both graphical and numerical outcomes were benchmarked against recent advancements in the field. The results of security evaluations and experimental testing demonstrate that the proposed image encryption scheme not only offers strong resistance against established cryptographic attacks and achieves high encryption performance but also operates with sufficient speed to be practical for real-world applications.