Image Steganography embedded with Advance Encryption Standard (AES) securing with SHA-256

Abstract

The proposed paper, works upon the idea of securing the classified information. This is achieved by using steganography which is an approach to hide classified information into some other file while maintaining its visual aids and secondly is cryptography which works upon textual data and transform it in a way that no one can comprehend it. The proposed method secures the weaker section which is the key in Advance Encryption Standard using hashing technique. The proposed work enhances the level of concealment of information from unauthorized access and for covert information exchange by encrypting the data and hiding it into a multimedia file known as image. The Secure Hash Algorithm 256 generates a hash key of 256 bits which is an unbreakable hashing technique after that the key is used in the process of encrypting the text with Advance Encryption Standard 256 which is an unbreakable encryption technique till this time and a cipher text is obtained. The cipher text is embedded into a target image using Least Significant Bit method which make changes in image that cannot be understand by naked eyes. The change in byte is 0.000002%. It ensures the visual quality of an image remains intact. The distortion or change in the image remains intermittent to human eyes. The major issue concerned for the government and security agencies such as were to exchange highly classified information in a secure and undetectable manner and abide the notion of hacker to comprehend any such information.