Selective encryption for efficient and secure transmission of compressed space images

The goal of partial encryption of a generic bit stream is to make the entire stream somehow useless for anyone that cannot decrypt its ciphered subset. In this paper we investigate the possibility of applying selective encryption to efficiently protect compressed space image data, during their transmission from payload instruments to Earth receiving stations. As a matter of fact, since many years, secure transmission of space data collected by scientific missions has not been considered necessary; but the trend is rapidly changing, and the availability of robust and efficient solutions to protect data integrity during their transmission may be a valuable asset.