Abstract:In order to improve the sensitivity and unpredictability of plaint image and key in encryption algorithm. In the paper, an image encryption alogrithm based on mixed chaotic system and electrocardiogram(ECG) signal is proposed. ECG signal vary from person to person, making it difficult to be imitated and duplicated. Firstly, characteristic value of the ECG signal with strong randomness was calculated by Wolf algorithm, and secure hash algorithm-256(SHA-256) hash function of the plain image is combined to comput the initial conditions for mixed chaotic system and ZigZag transformation. Then, the improved ZigZag transformation was used to image dynamic scrambling pixel position of the plain image, and dynamic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) standard rule coding was selected. Finally, getting the scrambling according to certain method or process which is encrypted exclusive image. The experimental and security analysis indicate that the encryption algorithm is highly sensitive to plain image and ECG signal, and has the advan-tages of large key space and can effectively risist known-plaintext and chosen-plaintext attacks、statistical attack and differential attack.