SECURING DATA IN THE IMAGE USING SHA & ECC

Abstract

With the rapid advancement in digital technology, ensuring data security has become paramount, particularly in image transmission and storage. This paper proposes a method for securing data within images using cryptographic hashing (SHA - Secure Hash Algorithm) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) is utilized to generate a fixed-length hash value from the input data. This hash value is unique to the input data and is nearly impossible to reverse-engineer. By embedding this hash value into the image, we can ensure data integrity, as any alterations to the image will be detected by recalculating the hash value. Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is employed for key generation and encryption. ECC offers smaller key sizes compared to other encryption algorithms, making it particularly suitable for constrained environments like images. The sender generates an ECC key pair: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. The data is encrypted using the public key and embedded into the image To further enhance security, the hash value generated by SHA can also be encrypted using ECC before embedding it into the image. This ensures that even if an attacker intercepts the image, they cannot tamper with the hash value. The proposed method provides robust data security within images, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in securing data within images against various attacks.