Application of Stochastic Diffusion for Hiding High Fidelity Encrypted Images

Cryptography coupled with information hiding has received increased attention in recent years and has become a major research theme because of the importance of protecting encrypted information in any Electronic Data Interchange system in a way that is both discrete and covert. One of the essential limitations in any cryptography system is that the encrypted data provides an indication on its importance which arouses suspicion and makes it vulnerable to attack. Information hiding of Steganography provides a potential solution to this issue by making the data imperceptible, the security of the hidden information being a threat only if its existence is detected through Steganalysis. This paper focuses on a study methods for hiding encrypted information, specifically, methods that encrypt data before embedding in host data where the ‘data’ is in the form of a full colour digital image. Such methods provide a greater level of data security especially when the information is to be submitted over the Internet, for example, since a potential attacker needs to first detect, then extract and then decrypt the embedded data in order to recover the original information. After providing an extensive survey of the current methods available, we present a new method of encrypting and then hiding full colour images in three full colour host images with out loss of fidelity following data extraction and decryption. The application of this technique, which is based on a technique called ‘Stochastic Diffusion’ are wide ranging and include covert image information interchange, digital image authentication, video authentication, copyright protection and digital rights management of image data in general

An improved image steganography scheme based on distinction grade value and secret message encryption

Steganography is an emerging and greatly demanding technique for secure information communication over the internet using a secret cover object. It can be used for a wide range of applications such as safe circulation of secret data in intelligence, industry, health care, habitat, online voting, mobile banking and military. Commonly, digital images are used as covers for the steganography owing to their redundancy in the representation, making them hidden to the intruders, hackers, adversaries, unauthorized users. Still, any steganography system launched over the Internet can be cracked upon recognizing the stego cover. Thus, the undetectability that involves data imperceptibility or concealment and security is the significant trait of any steganography system. Presently, the design and development of an effective image steganography system are facing several challenges including low capacity, poor robustness and imperceptibility. To surmount such limitations, it is important to improve the capacity and security of the steganography system while maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). Based on these factors, this study is aimed to design and develop a distinction grade value (DGV) method to effectively embed the secret data into a cover image for achieving a robust steganography scheme. The design and implementation of the proposed scheme involved three phases. First, a new encryption method called the shuffle the segments of secret message (SSSM) was incorporated with an enhanced Huffman compression algorithm to improve the text security and payload capacity of the scheme. Second, the Fibonacci-based image transformation decomposition method was used to extend the pixel's bit from 8 to 12 for improving the robustness of the scheme. Third, an improved embedding method was utilized by integrating a random block/pixel selection with the DGV and implicit secret key generation for enhancing the imperceptibility of the scheme. The performance of the proposed scheme was assessed experimentally to determine the imperceptibility, security, robustness and capacity. The standard USC-SIPI images dataset were used as the benchmarking for the performance evaluation and comparison of the proposed scheme with the previous works. The resistance of the proposed scheme was tested against the statistical, X2 , Histogram and non-structural steganalysis detection attacks. The obtained PSNR values revealed the accomplishment of higher imperceptibility and security by the proposed DGV scheme while a higher capacity compared to previous works. In short, the proposed steganography scheme outperformed the commercially available data hiding schemes, thereby resolved the existing issues

Hiding algorithm based fused images and Caesar cipher with intelligent security enhancement

The process of sending confidential data through the communication media and in complete secrecy is now necessary, whether the data is related to patients, a particular military operation, or a specified office. On the other hand, with the development of various ciphering algorithms, and information hiding algorithms, there is a need to obtain ciphered and hidden data securely without the need to exchange secret keys between the two ends of the communication. In this paper, a hiding algorithm based on fused images and Caesar cipher with intelligent methods to strengthen the security of confidential information is proposed. Firstly, fused image scattering is obtained using 1’s complement and circularly shifting the bits of fused pixels by specified positions before the hiding process. Secondly, the keys for the Caesar cipher are derived from the length of secret information according to the mathematical equation. Thirdly, strengthen the security of Caesar’s cipher by taking a 1’s complement of each letter in the cipher data. The results guarantee the security of the presented algorithm

An Enhanced Approach of Image Steganographic Using Discrete Shearlet Transform and Secret Sharing

               في الآونة الأخيرة، جعل الإنترنت المستخدمين قادرين على نقل الوسائط الرقمية بطريقة أسهل. على الرغم من هذه السهولة للإنترنت، إلا أنه قد تؤدي إلى العديد من التهديدات التي تتعلق بسرية محتويات الوسائط المنقولة مثل مصادقة الوسائط والتحقق من تكاملها. لهذه الأسباب ، يتم استخدام أساليب إخفاء البيانات والتشفير لحماية محتويات الوسائط الرقمية. في هذه الورقة البحثية ، تم اقتراح طريقة معززة لإخفاء المعلومات بالصور مع التشفير المرئي. يتم تشفير الشعار السري (صورة ثنائية) بالحجم (128 × 128) عن طريق تطبيق التشفير البصري (2 out 2 share) لتوليد مشاركتين سريتين. أثناء عملية التضمين ، يتم تقسيم الصورة غطاء RGB بحجم (512 × 512) إلى ثلاث طبقات (الأحمر والأخضر والأزرق). يتم تحويل الطبقة الزرقاء باستخدام التحويل Shearlet المتقطع للحصول على معاملاتها. يتم تضمين المشاركة السرية الأولى في معاملات الطبقة الزرقاء المحولة للحصول على صورة الاخفاء. في عملية الاستخراج ، يتم استخراج المشاركة السرية الأولى من معاملات الطبقة الزرقاء لصورة الاخفاء وثم يتم تطبيق عملية XOR عليها مع المشاركة السرية الثانية لإنشاء الشعار السري الأصلي. وفقًا للنتائج التجريبية ، فإن الطريقة المقترحة قد حققت افضل نسبة من عدم الوضوح لصورة الاخفاء بقدرة الحمولة الصافية تساوي (1 bpp). أصبح الشعار السري أكثر أمانًا باستخدام التشفير المرئي (2 out 2 share)  والمشاركة السرية الثانية كمفتاح خاص ايضاً.  Recently, the internet has made the users able to transmit the digital media in the easiest manner. In spite of this facility of the internet, this may lead to several threats that are concerned with confidentiality of transferred media contents such as media authentication and integrity verification. For these reasons, data hiding methods and cryptography are used to protect the contents of digital media. In this paper, an enhanced method of image steganography combined with visual cryptography has been proposed. A secret logo (binary image) of size (128x128) is encrypted by applying (2 out 2 share) visual cryptography on it to generate two secret share. During the embedding process, a cover red, green, and blue (RGB) image of size (512x512) is divided into three layers (red, green and blue). The blue layer is transformed using Discrete Shearlet Transform (DST) to obtain its coefficients. The first secret share is embedded at the coefficients of transformed blue layer to obtain a stego image. At extraction process, the first secret share is extracted from the coefficients of blue layer of the stego image and XORed with the second secret share to generate the original secret logo. According to the experimental results, the proposed method is achieved better imperceptibility for the stego image with the payload capacity equal to (1 bpp). In addition, the secret logo becomes more secured using (2 out 2 share) visual cryptography and the second secret share as a private key

Audio steganography based on least significant bits algorithm with 4D grid multi-wing hyper-chaotic system

Although variety in hiding methods used to protect data and information transmitted via channels but still need more robustness and difficulty to improve protection level of the secret messages from hacking or attacking. Moreover, hiding several medias in one media to reduce the transmission time and band of channel is the important task and define as a gain channel. This calls to find other ways to be more complexity in detecting the secret message. Therefore, this paper proposes cryptography/steganography method to hide an audio/voice message (secret message) in two different cover medias: audio and video. This method is use least significant bits (LSB) algorithm combined with 4D grid multi-wing hyper-chaotic (GMWH) system. Shuffling of an audio using key generated by GMWH system and then hiding message using LSB algorithm will provide more difficulty of extracting the original audio by hackers or attackers. According to analyses of obtained results in the receiver using peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR)/mean square error (MSE) and sensitivity of encryption key, the proposed method has more security level and robustness. Finally, this work will provide extra security to the mixture base of crypto-steganographic methods

An Image Steganography Algorithm for Hiding Data Based on HDWT, LZW and OPAP

Image steganography is the art of information hiding, which embeds a secret data into a cover image. However, high capacity of secret data and high quality of stego image are key issues in image steganography. In this paper, an image steganography technique based on Haar Discrete Wavelet Transform (HDWT), Lempel Ziv Welch (LZW) algorithm and Optimal Pixel Adjustment Process (OPAP) is proposed. The HDWT is used to increase the robustness of stego image against attacks. To increase the hidden capacity, LZW algorithm is performed on the secret message. The OPAP is then applied to reduce the embedding error between the cover image and stego image. The experimental results are evaluated by four standard images as covers, and with two types of secret messages. The results demonstrate high visual quality of stego image with large Hidden Capacity (HC) of secret data compared with recent technique

Imperceptible and secure image watermarking using DCT and random spread technique

Watermarking is a copyright protection technique, while cryptography is a message encoding technique. Imperceptibility, robustness, and safety are aspects that are often investigated in watermarking. Cryptography can be implemented to increase watermark security. Beaufort cipher is the algorithm proposed in this research to encrypt watermark. The new idea proposed in this research is the utilization of Beaufort key for watermark encryption process as well as for spread watermark when inserted as PN Sequence substitute with the aim to improve imperceptibility and security aspects. Where PN Sequence is widely used in spread spectrum watermarking technique. Based on the experimental results and testing of the proposed method proved that imperceptibility and watermark security are increased. Improved imperceptibility measured by PSNR rose by about 5dB and so did the MSE score better. Robustness aspect is also maintained which has been proven by the excellent value of NCC

Triple scheme based on image steganography to improve imperceptibility and security

A foremost priority in the information technology and communication era is achieving an effective and secure steganography scheme when considering information hiding. Commonly, the digital images are used as the cover for the steganography owing to their redundancy in the representation, making them hidden to the intruders. Nevertheless, any steganography system launched over the internet can be attacked upon recognizing the stego cover. Presently, the design and development of an effective image steganography system are facing several challenging issues including the low capacity, poor security, and imperceptibility. Towards overcoming the aforementioned issues, a new decomposition scheme was proposed for image steganography with a new approach known as a Triple Number Approach (TNA). In this study, three main stages were used to achieve objectives and overcome the issues of image steganography, beginning with image and text preparation, followed by embedding and culminating in extraction. Finally, the evaluation stage employed several evaluations in order to benchmark the results. Different contributions were presented with this study. The first contribution was a Triple Text Coding Method (TTCM), which was related to the preparation of secret messages prior to the embedding process. The second contribution was a Triple Embedding Method (TEM), which was related to the embedding process. The third contribution was related to security criteria which were based on a new partitioning of an image known as the Image Partitioning Method (IPM). The IPM proposed a random pixel selection, based on image partitioning into three phases with three iterations of the Hénon Map function. An enhanced Huffman coding algorithm was utilized to compress the secret message before TTCM process. A standard dataset from the Signal and Image Processing Institute (SIPI) containing color and grayscale images with 512 x 512 pixels were utilised in this study. Different parameters were used to test the performance of the proposed scheme based on security and imperceptibility (image quality). In image quality, four important measurements that were used are Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Mean Square Error (MSE) and Histogram analysis. Whereas, two security measurements that were used are Human Visual System (HVS) and Chi-square (X2) attacks. In terms of PSNR and SSIM, the Lena grayscale image obtained results were 78.09 and 1 dB, respectively. Meanwhile, the HVS and X2 attacks obtained high results when compared to the existing scheme in the literature. Based on the findings, the proposed scheme give evidence to increase capacity, imperceptibility, and security to overcome existing issues

Optimization of medical image steganography using n-decomposition genetic algorithm

Protecting patients' confidential information is a critical concern in medical image steganography. The Least Significant Bits (LSB) technique has been widely used for secure communication. However, it is susceptible to imperceptibility and security risks due to the direct manipulation of pixels, and ASCII patterns present limitations. Consequently, sensitive medical information is subject to loss or alteration. Despite attempts to optimize LSB, these issues persist due to (1) the formulation of the optimization suffering from non-valid implicit constraints, causing inflexibility in reaching optimal embedding, (2) lacking convergence in the searching process, where the message length significantly affects the size of the solution space, and (3) issues of application customizability where different data require more flexibility in controlling the embedding process. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a technique known as an n-decomposition genetic algorithm. This algorithm uses a variable-length search to identify the best location to embed the secret message by incorporating constraints to avoid local minimum traps. The methodology consists of five main phases: (1) initial investigation, (2) formulating an embedding scheme, (3) constructing a decomposition scheme, (4) integrating the schemes' design into the proposed technique, and (5) evaluating the proposed technique's performance based on parameters using medical datasets from kaggle.com. The proposed technique showed resistance to statistical analysis evaluated using Reversible Statistical (RS) analysis and histogram. It also demonstrated its superiority in imperceptibility and security measured by MSE and PSNR to Chest and Retina datasets (0.0557, 0.0550) and (60.6696, 60.7287), respectively. Still, compared to the results obtained by the proposed technique, the benchmark outperforms the Brain dataset due to the homogeneous nature of the images and the extensive black background. This research has contributed to genetic-based decomposition in medical image steganography and provides a technique that offers improved security without compromising efficiency and convergence. However, further validation is required to determine its effectiveness in real-world applications

Secure covert communications over streaming media using dynamic steganography

Streaming technologies such as VoIP are widely embedded into commercial and industrial applications, so it is imperative to address data security issues before the problems get really serious. This thesis describes a theoretical and experimental investigation of secure covert communications over streaming media using dynamic steganography. A covert VoIP communications system was developed in C++ to enable the implementation of the work being carried out. A new information theoretical model of secure covert communications over streaming media was constructed to depict the security scenarios in streaming media-based steganographic systems with passive attacks. The model involves a stochastic process that models an information source for covert VoIP communications and the theory of hypothesis testing that analyses the adversary‘s detection performance. The potential of hardware-based true random key generation and chaotic interval selection for innovative applications in covert VoIP communications was explored. Using the read time stamp counter of CPU as an entropy source was designed to generate true random numbers as secret keys for streaming media steganography. A novel interval selection algorithm was devised to choose randomly data embedding locations in VoIP streams using random sequences generated from achaotic process. A dynamic key updating and transmission based steganographic algorithm that includes a one-way cryptographical accumulator integrated into dynamic key exchange for covert VoIP communications, was devised to provide secure key exchange for covert communications over streaming media. The discrete logarithm problem in mathematics and steganalysis using t-test revealed the algorithm has the advantage of being the most solid method of key distribution over a public channel. The effectiveness of the new steganographic algorithm for covert communications over streaming media was examined by means of security analysis, steganalysis using non parameter Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon statistical testing, and performance and robustness measurements. The algorithm achieved the average data embedding rate of 800 bps, comparable to other related algorithms. The results indicated that the algorithm has no or little impact on real-time VoIP communications in terms of speech quality (< 5% change in PESQ with hidden data), signal distortion (6% change in SNR after steganography) and imperceptibility, and it is more secure and effective in addressing the security problems than other related algorithms