Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have increasing demand on lightweight, efficient, and secure encryption techniques for devices with limited resources, since traditional algorithms require high computation which make them impractical. This preliminary study presents an encryption algorithm based on chaos designed for transmitting short data, using the Lorenz system and Euler’s method for computation. It is combined with a synchronization model based on data array. It inserts iteration parameters within the ciphertext to ensure consistent key reproduction while decrypting. Within the broader context of e-health data streams, encryption efficiency is critical: continuous ECG signals generate large volumes of data that challenge real-time secure transmission, whereas individual blood pressure readings are far smaller and lightweight. While this work delimits its scope to short, low-power transmissions, simulations and hardware implementation on an nRF chip using the Enhanced ShockBurst (ESB) protocol demonstrated efficiency, with the lowest encryption speed of 0.154 ms for a 1-byte payload. Security analysis using the NIST Statistical Test Suite confirmed high statistical randomness of the generated keystream, and theoretical key-space analysis supports robustness. By focusing on short-stream encryption in preliminary form, the scheme contributes toward inclusive secure communication technologies for resource-constrained IoT healthcare systems and diverse user populations.
Cordero-Samortin et al. (Wed,) studied this question.