A Symmetric Encryption Algorithm based on DNA Computing

Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid (DNA) computing is a new method of simulating the bimolecular structure of DNA and computing by means of molecular biology. DNA cryptography is a new field which has been explored worldwide. The concept of using DNA computing in the fields of cryptography and steganography has been identified as a possible technology, which may bring forward a new hope for unbreakable algorithms. This paper proposed a new DNA cryptographic algorithm which used the key features of DNA and amino acid coding to overcome limitations of the classical One Time Pad (OTP) cipher. A significant feature of the proposed algorithm is that; it is considered an encryption and hiding algorithm at the same time. The proposed algorithm also enhances the security level of OTP cipher. An evaluation for the proposed algorithm is performed according to randomness testing by using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) test. The study showed that the proposed algorithm had better performance with respect to time, capacity and robustness compared to previous studies.