This paper proposes a novel scheme where the key k is generated as discrete logarithm of indices involving prime modulus p and any base value q. This base value q is an element of Zp. The Discrete logarithm values are substituted for k in the encryption equation. During decryption the corresponding k's are used to recover the plaintext. The sender embeds the p, q values along with the encrypted message and transmits it. This obviates the need for sending the full-length key along with the encrypted message. The proposed method ensures higher security in the transmission. The strength of the method lies in the difficulty of guessing p, q values, the entire key need not be transmitted and the full set of ASCII values of the Z256 plane figure in the encryption process. The paper also discusses the difficulty of attempting brute force technique to discover p, q values. As an extension of this work, the authors are exploring the possibility of using the full set of UNICODE values instead of the restricted 8-bit ASCII set. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.