Novel color image encryption algorithm based on the reality preserving fractional Mellin transform

A nonlinear color image encryption algorithm based on reality preserving fractional Mellin transform (RPFrMT) is proposed. So far as image encryption is concerned, RPFrMT has two fascinating advantages: (1) the real-valued output of the transform ensures that the ciphertext is real which is convenient for display, transmission and storage; (2) as a nonlinear transform, RPFrMT gets rid of the potential insecurity which exists in the conventional linear encryption schemes. The original color image is first transformed from RGB color space to R′G′B′ color space by rotating the color cube. The three components of the output are then transformed by RPFrMT of different fractional orders. To further enhance the security of the encryption system, the result of the former step is scrambled by three dimensional scrambling. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is feasible, secure, sensitive to keys and robust to noise attack and occlusion. The proposed color image encryption can also be applied to encrypt three gray images by transforming the gray images into three color components of a specially constructed color image.

► The RPFrMT with the RPFrFT in log-polar coordinates is derived.
► A nonlinear color image encryption algorithm based on the RPFrMT is proposed.
► The proposed algorithm can also be applied to encrypt three gray images.