Performance Analysis of LSB Image Steganography Combined with Blowfish-RC4 Encryption in Various File Extensions

Abstract

Sending and exchanging important data through the internet is prone to be stolen by unauthorized parties. The number of confidential data theft cases make the need for data security important. Steganography and cryptography can be used as tools to protect the security and confidentiality of confidential data. Steganography as a tool to hide confidential data while cryptography as a tool to randomize confidential data. The combination of the Least Significant Bit (LSB)- Blowfish and Rivest Code 4 (RC4) is proposed because it can provide layered protection on confidential data. The secret data is encrypted using the Blowfish algorithm and encrypted again using the RC4 algorithm before it is pinned on the LSB media cover in the form of images. The performance analysis of the combination of LSB and Blowfish-RC4 was carried out on various image sizes with messages that had various types of file extensions. The stego image was compared to determine the level of its imperceptibility with the cover image through Mean Square Error (MSE) test, Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) test also histogram analysis from both of that images. Based on experiments showed good PSNR results with an average above 56dB. Meanwhile, the performance of cryptographic algorithms tested through entropy tests proved to be very good because it approached perfect values.