Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Vol. 39, No. 1, July 2025, pp. 700~709 ISSN: 2502-4752, DOI: 10.11591/ijeecs.v39.i1.pp700-709  700 Journal homepage: http://ijeecs.iaescore.com A novel (, ) multi-secret image sharing scheme harnessing RNA cryptography and 1-D group cellular automata Yasmin Abdul, Venkatesan Ramasamy, Gaverchand Kukaram Department of Mathematics, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Aug 10, 2024 Revised Mar 14, 2025 Accepted Mar 26, 2025 In the modern landscape, securing digital media is crucial, as digital images are increasingly disseminated through unsecured channels. Therefore, image encryption is widely employed, transforming visual data into an unreadable format to enhance image security and prevent unauthorized access. This paper proposes an efficient (, ) multi-secret image sharing (MSIS) scheme that leverages ribonucleic acid (RNA) cryptography and one-dimensional (1-D) group cellular automata (GCA) rules. The (, ) MSIS scheme encrypts  images into  distinct shares, necessitating all  shares for decryption to accurately reconstruct the original  images. Initially, a key image is generated using RNA cryptography, harnessing the extensive sequence variability and inherent complexity of RNA. This secret key is then used to encrypt  images in the primary phase. In the secondary phase, pixel values are transformed through multiple processes, with randomness achieved by executing a key function derived from GCA, known for its reversible properties, computational efficiency, and robustness against cryptographic attacks. The proposed model, implemented in Python, is validated through experimental results, demonstrating its effectiveness in resisting a broad spectrum of attacks, including statistical, entropy, differential, and pixel parity analyses. These findings affirm the model's durability, security, and resilience, underscoring its superior performance compared to existing models. Keywords: Differential attacks Entropy test Group cellular automata Image encryption RNA cryptography Statistical analysis This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Venkatesan Ramasamy Department of Mathematics, College of Engineering and Technology SRM Institute of Science and Technology Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu, India Email: venkater1@srmist.edu.in 1. INTRODUCTION In the modern digital landscape, the secure transfer of data has become crucial, with numerous internet applications facilitating confidential communication. Consequently, safeguarding information against unauthorized access has emerged as a critical objective. The rapid advancement of computer and internet technologies has underscored information security as a perpetual concern. To address this, various methods such as cryptography [1], [2], steganography [3], [4], and watermarking [5], [6] have been proposed and extensively studied. However, with the proliferation of digital images, including medical, grayscale, color, and binary images, protecting this format of information has become paramount. Digital images are extensively utilized in several domains like space research, medical research, telemedicine, industrial processes, defense sensors, and others, often containing sensitive and private information. These images are crucial for scientific and technological advancements as well as for ensuring the privacy and confidentiality