Chaotic Encryption Algorithm with Key Controlled Neural Networks for Intelligent Transportation Systems

The security of sensitive information is vital in many aspects of multimedia applications such as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs), where traffic data collection, analysis and manipulations is essential. In ITS, the images captured by roadside units form the basis of many traffic rerouting and management techniques, and hence, we should take all precautions necessary to deter unwanted traffic actions caused by malicious adversaries. Moreover, the collected traffic images might reveal critical private information. Consequently, this paper presents a new image encryption algorithm, denoted as ChaosNet, using chaotic key controlled neural networks for integration with the roadside units of ITSs. The encryption algorithm is based on the Lorenz chaotic system and the novel key controlled finite field neural network. The obtained cryptanalysis show that the proposed encryption scheme has substantial mixing properties, and thus cryptographic strength with up to 5% increase in information entropy compared to other algorithms. Moreover, it offers consistent resistance to common attacks demonstrated by nearly ideal number of changing pixel rate (NPCR), unified averaged changed intensity (UACI), pixel correlation coefficient values, and robustness to cropped attacks. Furthermore, it has less than 0.002% difference in the NPCR and 0.3% in the UACI metrics for different test images.