Abstract : Nowadays, chaos-based image encryption is recognized as an effective choice in secure communications. This paper proposes a novel approach, which uses bit-pair level XOR, add, and rotation from top to bottom and enhances diffusion with pixel level XOR operator from the lower right corner to the upper left corner. Due to the bit-pair level encryption, the proposed scheme has ensured great security and high encryption speed. The chaotic series employed for encryption are obtained from the modified pulse-coupled spiking neurons circuit map. It is suitable for use encryption because of its abundant parameters wide chaotic range, ergodicity, complexity, and high sensitivity. Furthermore, the results show the superiority of this scheme compared to the other four methods in terms of robustness to differential attack.
