Assessing JPEG2000 encryption with key-dependent wavelet packets

We analyze and discuss encryption schemes for JPEG2000 based on the wavelet packet transform with a keydependent subband structure. These schemes have been assumed to reduce the runtime complexity of encryption and compression. In addition to this “lightweight” nature, other advantages like encrypted domain signal processing have been reported. We systematically analyze encryption approaches based on key-dependent subband structures in terms of their impact on compression performance, their computational complexity and the level of security they provide as compared to more classical techniques. Furthermore, we analyze the prerequisites and settings in which the previously reported advantages actually hold and in which settings no advantages can be observed. As a final outcome it has to be stated that the compression integrated encryption approach based on the idea of secret wavelet packets can not be recommended.