Image Steganography Based on Hybrid Edge Detector to Hide Encrypted Image using Vernam Algorithm

Abstract

There has been a growing expansion in the use of steganography, due to the evolution in using internet technology and multimedia technology. Hence, nowadays, the information is not secured sufficiently while transmitting it over the network. Therefore, information security has taken an important role to provide security against unauthorized individuals. This paper proposes steganography and cryptography technique to secure image based on hybrid edge detector. Cryptography technique is used to encrypt a secret image by using Vernam cipher algorithm. The robust of this algorithm is depending on pseudorandom key. Therefore, pseudo-random key is generated from a nonlinear feedback shift register (Geffe Generator). While in steganography, Hybrid Sobel and Kirch edge detector have been applied on the cover image to locate edge pixels. The least significant bit (LSB) steganography technique is used to embed secret image bits in the cover image in which 3 bits are embedded in edge pixel and 2 bits in smooth pixel. The proposed method can be used in multi field such as military, medical, communication, banking, Electronic governance, and so on. This method gives an average payload ratio of 1.96 with 41.5 PSNR on average. Besides, the maximum size of secret image that can be hidden in the cover image of size 512*512 is 262*261. Also, when hiding 64800 bits in baboon cover image of size 512*512, it gives PSNR of 50.42 and MSE of 0.59.