Enhanced Lightweight Image Encryption Utilizing Stream Cipher and Secure Hashing Algorithm

This paper introduces an enhanced lightweight image encryption method, combining a stream cipher and the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA). The primary focus is developing a robust and efficient encryption technique tailored to images. The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the proposed encryption algorithm, benchmarked against existing methods. This comparison uses critical performance metrics such as Mean Squared Error (MSE), Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), and Entropy. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves lower MSE values, indicating minimal distortion post-encryption, and exhibits superior PSNR values, ensuring high-quality image reconstruction. Additionally, the high entropy values achieved signify the strength and unpredictability of the encryption, underlining the algorithm's effectiveness in maintaining image integrity and security.