Open Access

ARTICLE

A Robust Image Encryption Method Based on the Randomness Properties of DNA Nucleotides

Bassam Al-Shargabi^1,*, Mohammed Abbas Fadhil Al-Husainy², Abdelrahman Abuarqoub¹, Omar Albahbouh Aldabbas³

1 Cardiff School of Technologies, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, CF23 6XD, UK
2 Networks and Cybersecurity Department, Amman Al Ahliyya University, Amman, 19328, Jordan
3 Faculty of Engineering, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan

* Corresponding Author: Bassam Al-Shargabi. Email:

Computers, Materials & Continua 2026, 87(1), 11 https://doi.org/10.32604/cmc.2025.074550

Received 13 October 2025; Accepted 17 December 2025; Issue published 10 February 2026

Abstract

The advent of 5G technology has significantly enhanced the transmission of images over networks, expanding data accessibility and exposure across various applications in digital technology and social media. Consequently, the protection of sensitive data has become increasingly critical. Regardless of the complexity of the encryption algorithm used, a robust and highly secure encryption key is essential, with randomness and key space being crucial factors. This paper proposes a new Robust Deoxyribonucleic Acid (RDNA) nucleotide-based encryption method. The RDNA encryption method leverages the unique properties of DNA nucleotides, including their inherent randomness and extensive key space, to generate a highly secure encryption key. By employing transposition and substitution operations, the RDNA method ensures significant diffusion and confusion in the encrypted images. Additionally, it utilises a pseudorandom generation technique based on the random sequence of nucleotides in the DNA secret key. The performance of the RDNA encryption method is evaluated through various statistical and visual tests, and compared against established encryption methods such as 3DES, AES, and a DNA-based method. Experimental results demonstrate that the RDNA encryption method outperforms its rivals in the literature, and achieves superior performance in terms of information entropy, avalanche effect, encryption execution time, and correlation reduction, while maintaining competitive values for NMAE, PSNR, NPCR, and UACI. The high degree of randomness and sensitivity to key changes inherent in the RDNA method offers enhanced security, making it highly resistant to brute force and differential attacks.

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Keywords

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