CLEA-256-based text and image encryption algorithm for security in IOD networks

Abstract

AbstractDrones are resource-constrained devices that monitor areas that are not easily reachable by humans. A network of drone(s) and a Ground Control Station (GCS) are called an Internet of Drones (IoD) network. A vast amount of data communication happens between a drone and a GCS. Since previous works have not tested lightweight encryption algorithms on experimental IoD networks which use resource-constrained processing computers, RP 3B+ boards are used as processing computers for the proposed setup. The proposed setup consists of one experimental drone with an RP 3B+ board as the processing computer (which acts like a client) and a GCS (which acts like a server). Moreover, since previous works have not explored the consequences of using the same encryption algorithm for text + image, a lightweight encryption algorithm named Customized Lightweight Encryption Algorithm (CLEA)-256 has been designed, which can be used for encryption and decryption of text files and images. The algorithm implementations have been done using Python, and communications between the drone and the GCS have been done using a phone hotspot. A drone experiment is performed for an IoD network, in which the drone captures text data like sensor data, GPS data, etc., as well as generates a panorama. The drone encrypts the text file and panorama and sends them through a zip file to the GCS. GCS decrypts the encrypted data. Security analysis, as well as performance analysis, has been shown for the CLEA-256 algorithm for aerial data as well as some standard images. Results show that the CLEA-256 algorithm provides good security and performance features and it outperforms the traditional LEA-256 algorithm as well as some recently published work for aerial data as well as some standard images.

Keywords

• Decrypt
• drone
• encrypt
• GCS
• LEA-256
• panorama