Secret information hiding in image randomly method using steganography and cryptography

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 University of Information Technology and Communications, Baghdad, Iraq

2 Ministry of High Education and Scientific Research, Baghdad, Iraq

3 Al-Esraa University College, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

In this research paper, we will present how to hide confidential information in a color image randomly using a mathematical equation; by apply this equation to the number of image bytes after converting the image into a digital image, the number of randomly selected bytes depends on the length of the secret message. After specifying the bytes, we include the secret message in those selected bytes utilizing least significant bit (LSB) of steganography, and return the new bytes in the same place in the original image by using the same mathematical equation, after the hiding process using steganography, and then we encrypt the image and send it to the recipient. Several statistical measures applied to the original image, compared with the image after embedding, and after the image encrypted. The results obtained are very good. The statistical measures were used the histogram, mean square error (MSE) and the peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR).
The system is designed to perform these processes, which consists of two stages, hiding stage and extract stage. The first stage contains from four steps, the first step of this stage reading the image and converting it to a digital image and make an index on each byte of the image bytes and the application of the mathematical equation to select the bytes by randomly, second step is the process of hiding the secret message in selected bytes and return those bytes to the original locations, third step is the calculation of the statistical measures to determine the rate of confusion after the inclusion of the confidential message, fourth step to encrypt the image of the message carrier and measure the rate of confusion after the encryption and compare with the original image. The extraction process consists of three steps, the first step is to use the private key to decrypt, and the second step is to apply the same mathematical equation to extract the embedded bytes of the confidential message, third step use the same method of hiding the information and extracting the confidential message.

Keywords

[1] A.S. Abdulbaqi, A.J. Obaid and A.H. Mohammed, ECG signals recruitment to implement a new technique for
medical image encryption, J. Discrete Math. Sci. Crypt. 24(6) (2021) 1663–1673.
[2] A.M. Abdullah and R.H. Hama, New approaches to encrypt and decrypt data in image using cryptography and
steganography algorithm, Int. J. Comput. Appl. 143(4) (2016).
[3] Z.J. Ahmed, Selective Watermarking Based on Interframe coding and Mean Modulation for Sprite Blocks, M.Sc.
Thesis College of Science, Baghdad University, 2014.
[4] O.M. Al-hazaimeh, Hiding data in images using new random technique, IJCSI 9(4) (2012).
[5] W.T. Ali and A.S. Hamed, Data hiding using steganography and cryptography techniques, Int. J. Mechat. Elect.
Comput. Tech. 8(30) (2018) 3988–4001.
[6] M.M. Amin, M. Salle, S. Ibrahim, M.R. Katmin and M.Z.I. Shamsuddin, Information hiding using steganography,
4th National Conference of Telecommunication Technology, NCTT 2003 Proceedings, (2003) 21–25.
[7] J. Banks, J. Carson, B. Nelson, D. Nicol, Discrete-event System Simulation, Pearson Education International
Series in Industrial and System Engineering, Third Edition, 2002.
[8] A. Cheddad, J. Condell, K. Curran and P.M.C. Kevitt, Digital steganography survey and analysis of current
method, Signal Proces. 90(3) (2010) 727–752.
[9] R. Goyal and N. Kumar, LSB based digital watermarking technique, Int. J. Appl. Innov. Engin. Manag. 3(9)
(2014).
[10] R. Hiral, S.S. Mahendra and K.S. Sanjay, Design and implementation of image encryption algorithm by using
block based symmetric transformation algorithm (hyper image encryption algorithm), Int. J. Comput. Tech. Elect.
Engin. 1(3) (2011).
[11] K. Kadam, A. Koshti and P. Dunghav, Steganography using least significant bit algorithm, Engin. Res. Appl. 2(3)
(2012) 338–341.
[12] S. Katzenbeiss, F.A.P. Petitcolas, Information Hiding Techniques for Steganography and Digital Watermarking,
Artech House, Computer Security Series, Boston-London, 2000.
[13] D.H. Lehmer, Proceedings of a Second Symposium on Large-Scale Digital Calculating Machinery, Harvard University press, Cambridge, MA, 1951.
[14] A.J. Oabid, S. AlBermany and N.O. Alkaam, Enhancement in S-Box of BRADG Algorithm, In: V. Solanki,
M. Hoang, Z. Lu and P. Pattnaik, Intelligent Computing in Engineering, Advances in Intelligent Systems and
Computing, 1125, Springer, Singapore, 2020.
[15] F.A.P. Pititcolas, R.j. Anderson and M.G. Kuhn, Information hiding: A survey, Proc. IEEE, Special Iissue on
Protection of Multimedia Content 87(7) (1999) 1062–1078.
[16] K. Priya, Steganography techniques used to hide the information, IOSR J. Comput. Engin. 20(6) (2018) 16–19.
[17] M. Qureshi, Cryptography: A Silent Weapon for Encryption/Decryption of Data,
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cryptography-silent-weapon-encryptiondecryption-data-qureshi, (2018).
[18] R. Shanthakumari, E.M.R. Devi, R. Rajadevi and B. Bharaneeshwar, Information hiding in audio steganography
using LSB matching revisited, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. IOP 1911(1) (2021) 012027.
Volume 12, Special Issue
December 2021
Pages 1283-1291
  • Receive Date: 12 April 2021
  • Revise Date: 03 June 2021
  • Accept Date: 19 July 2021