A NOVEL HYBRID ENCRYPTION ALGORITHM COMBINING CAESAR AND VIGENERE CIPHERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjoest.v7i2.273Keywords:
encryption algorithms, Caesar algorithm, Vigenère algorithm, hybrid VICA encryptionAbstract
Information and messages transmitted through digital networks are vulnerable to various attacks, making encryption essential for protecting data against unauthorized access and ensuring confidentiality and integrity. Encryption techniques transform original data into an unreadable format using mathematical algorithms and encryption keys. One of the earliest encryption methods is the Caesar cipher, a simple technique that shifts characters according to a predefined key. However, the Caesar cipher is currently considered weak because its key space is limited to only 26 possibilities. The Vigenère cipher was developed to overcome some of these limitations and was historically regarded as more secure. Nevertheless, cryptanalysis techniques were later developed to break the Vigenère cipher by determining the key length. This paper proposes a hybrid Vigenère-Caesar (VICA) algorithm that combines both encryption techniques through double encryption. The plaintext is divided into odd- and even-positioned characters. The Caesar algorithm encrypts one group, and its resulting ciphertext is subsequently used as the encryption key for the Vigenère algorithm to encrypt the other group. Two Vigenère-based scenarios are proposed. The first applies the classical Vigenère algorithm, whereas the second uses a modified Vigenère algorithm based on the ASCII system rather than alphabetic characters. In both scenarios, the Caesar algorithm output provides the Vigenère encryption key. This combined approach increases encryption complexity and makes ciphertext more difficult to decipher. The proposed algorithm was implemented and evaluated using MATLAB. Experimental results indicate strong performance in protecting textual data, as the generated ciphertexts in both scenarios are unreadable. The first scenario produces combinations of letters and symbols, while the second generates more complex combinations, demonstrating the potential of VICA for enhanced textual data protection against interception and unauthorized interpretation during digital transmission.
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Copyright (c) 2026 ALAA S ABDALRAZZAQ, SALAH ABDULGHANI ALABADY, HANI GH ABDUL KARIM
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