Suparn Padma Patra and Mamta Rani, Central University of Rajasthan, India

Advancements in communication and storage technologies need robust encryption tools to protect data. Cryptographic hash functions are crucial in maintaining data integrity and security by turning variable-length inputs into fixed-size digests. RIPEMD-160 is a popular hash algorithm that balances speed and security. However, advances in cryptanalysis have revealed weaknesses, requiring upgrades to bolster its defences against new dangers. Our research offers a new method to boost RIPEMD-160’s security using the Chirikov Standard Map’s chaotic properties, which increase unpredictability. We developed the ChaoticRIPE algorithm, incorporating the Chirikov Standard Map into RIPEMD-160. The experimental analysis demonstrates that ChaoticRIPE exhibits improved resistance to cryptographic attacks, heightened sensitivity to input variations, and a more uniform hash distribution than the original RIPEMD-160. The method maintains efficiency with a minimal computational overhead of approximately 0.05 milliseconds per hash computation. ChaoticRIPE is a potential enhancement for cryptographic hash functions used in modern security applications; National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) statistical testing results show the suggested technique’s resilience.

RIPEMD-160, Chirikov Standard Map, Chaotic Maps, Cryptographic Hash Functions.