A Lightweight Symmetric Encryption Framework Using Homogeneous and Non-Homogeneous Caterpillar Graphs

Abstract

In today’s interconnected world, ensuring secure and efficient communication is of critical importance. Traditional cryptographic techniques often encounter challenges such as high computational costs and vulnerabilities to emerging attack strategies. This study proposes a novel encryption framework that leverages the structural properties of homogeneous and non-homogeneous caterpillar graphs to enhance the processes of encrypting and decrypting textual information. Plaintext characters are first mapped to numerical values based on their positions in the English alphabet, after which number-theoretic operations are applied to generate ciphertext. The encrypted values are embedded within caterpillar graph structures, where vertex assignments and coloring methods introduce additional layers of complexity. This integration not only increases resistance to brute-force and quantum-based attacks but also improves visualization and segmentation of encrypted blocks. Furthermore, efficient graph traversal algorithms are incorporated to optimize computational performance. The proposed framework significantly strengthens cryptographic security by combining graph theory, number theory, and coloring techniques, offering a scalable solution to modern cybersecurity challenges.