LSB Substitution Method Research Articles

Intricacies in image steganography and innovative directions

With the advancement in digital communication and data sets getting huge due to computerisation of data gathering worldwide, the need for data security in transmission also increases. Cryptography and steganography are well known methods available to provide security where the former use techniques that control information in order to cipher or hide their presence and the latter concentrates on data concealment. Steganography is the practice of masking data especially multimedia data within another data. Visual contents get more importance from people compared to audio contents and moreover visual content file is huge when compared to audio file thereby helping increase robustness of the hiding algorithms. In this paper, we consider three domains in which the image steganography algorithms are proposed along with the experimentation results on USC-SIPI image database which prove the betterment of the algorithms as compared with the traditional algorithms. We propose to use rule based LSB substitution method in spatial domain, XOR based hiding in frequency domain and data encryption standard based embedding in wavelet domain. We find that the proposed algorithms have a better PSNR value averaging close to 53 after embedding the secret data, while the existing algorithms has values of around 50.

Data Hiding and Retrieval Method Using LSB Substitution Algorithm

Steganography is the art of hiding the fact that communication is taking place, by hiding information in other information. Many different carrier ?le formats can be used, but digital images are the most popular because of their frequency on the Internet. For hiding secret information in images, there exists a large variety of steganography techniques some are more complex than others and all of them have respective strong and weak points. Different applications have different requirements of the steganography technique used. For example, some applications may require absolute invisibility of the secret information, while others require a larger secret message to be hidden. This project hides the message within the image. This project uses LSB Substitution method to hide the secret message inside the image. Sender select the cover image with the secret message ?le (which can be of any format) and hide it into the image, it help to generate the secure stego image. The stego image is sent to the destination with the help of private or public communication network. On the other side the receiver downloads the stego image and using the software retrieve the secret text hidden in the stego image.

Reversible Data Hiding Scheme for Images Using Gray Code Pixel Value Optimization

Steganography is a technique that allows confidential data to be delivered securely by embedding the data into cover digital media. In this paper, we propose a simple steganography method for cover gray images with high embedding capacity. The secret pixels are not directly embedded into the cover image by a k-bit LSB substitution method with k in the range [1, 4], but can be extracted from stego image by calculating the Canonical Gray Code (CGC) for the correct number of LSBs known only to sender and receiver. The bit embedding process is performed to minimize the influence of the embedded bits on the pixel intensity of the stego-image and limit the possibility of human perception to follow the distortions of the original image.This effect was achieved by considering virtual embedding of secret bits in canonical Gray code (CGC) calculated for the desired number of n bits (k < n ≤ 8) and optimally adjusting the CGC code to the embedded secret bits, and to the original pixel value of the cover image. The paper, in its experimental part, compares the effectiveness of the proposed method with other techniques. For the results verification, peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), mean square error (MSE), and structural similarity index (SSIM) are calculated.

DEVELOPING INCIDENT DETECTION ALGORITHM BASED ON THE MAMDANI FUZZY INFERENCE ALGORITHM

This paper designs a pre-processor that can be applied on the text message prior to embedding in digital colored images. It encompasses two phases: first phase deals with designing the robust process to encode the text message using multiple fragments, and second phase deals with embedding the text of multiple fragments into the image. Prior to embedding, image is partitioned into number of blocks and size of each block is decided by a pseudo random number generator. Text embedding in images adopts LSB substitution method with a new approach. Characters of the text messages are partitioned into three sets to have total of eight bits whose size is defined by permutation. Each pixel of the image is segmented into its RGB components and LSBs of each component are selected to form three sets whose size is same as the size of the sets formed for character bits. Proposed algorithm is applicable to pixels of any region of the image and experimental results prove the robustness of the algorithm in terms of color distortion, security level and successful extraction of text.

Bio Medical Image Transmission using Steganography

The Medical images provide significant information which should be unavailable to unauthorized persons. Hence, the biometric system is made more secure using steganography. In this work, a novel steganographic technique using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) for transmitting images is proposed. Experiments show that Peak Signal Noise Ratio (PSNR) generated by the proposed method is better than those generated by the existing schemes such as LSB substitution method. The results are an indicator of successful applications on medical images. The processed medical images can be further analyzed in order to diagnose, without loss of information due to this proposed steganographic technique

Image steganography using uncorrelated color space and its application for security of visual contents in online social networks

Image steganography is a growing research field, where sensitive contents are embedded in images, keeping their visual quality intact. Researchers have used correlated color space such as RGB, where modification to one channel affects the overall quality of stego-images, hence decreasing its suitability for steganographic algorithms. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an adaptive LSB substitution method using uncorrelated color space, increasing the property of imperceptibility while minimizing the chances of detection by the human vision system. In the proposed scheme, the input image is passed through an image scrambler, resulting in an encrypted image, preserving the privacy of image contents, and then converted to HSV color space for further processing. The secret contents are encrypted using an iterative magic matrix encryption algorithm (IMMEA) for better security, producing the cipher contents. An adaptive LSB substitution method is then used to embed the encrypted data inside the V-plane of HSV color model based on secret key-directed block magic LSB mechanism. The idea of utilizing HSV color space for data hiding is inspired from its properties including de-correlation, cost-effectiveness in processing, better stego image quality, and suitability for steganography as verified by our experiments, compared to other color spaces such as RGB, YCbCr, HSI, and Lab. The quantitative and qualitative experimental results of the proposed framework and its application for addressing the security and privacy of visual contents in online social networks (OSNs), confirm its effectiveness in contrast to state-of-the-art methods.

Image steganography based on interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy edge detection and modified LSB

The Internet is becoming increasingly popular as a communication channel. However, message transmissions via the Internet have some problems, such as information security, copyright protection, and so on. Therefore, we need a secure communication method to transmit messages via the Internet. Steganography is a technique that hides secret data into cover media by altering its most insignificant components, such that an unauthorized user will not be aware of the existence of the secret data. In recent years the development of artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic has started a new period in the whole science. The proposed scheme has taken into consideration the property that more information can be hidden into the edge areas rather than in the smooth areas. This scheme makes the use of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy edge detecting method as well as the modified LSB substitution method that causes the image quality and capacity to increase. The use of intuitionistic fuzzy sets not only improves the image quality, but it is also more accurate in detecting the edges and smooth areas. The proposed scheme is tested on different standard images with secret messages of various lengths. The experimental results show the ability of the proposed scheme.

Arithmetic coding based secret image sharing with inverted pattern LSB substitution for share hiding to achieve better quality stego images

In this paper we have proposed a secret image sharing method using arithmetic coding. The proposed method is inspired from the work presented in [25]. Objectives of the proposed method are (i) to reduce the size of the shares, (ii) provide more secure sharing and (iii) achieve better quality meaningful shadow images. Here, we have extended the arithmetic coding method as given in [25] to achieve more compressed data stream, which will reduce the size of secret and hence reduce the size of shares. Then, the data stream passes through a transformation for more secure secret sharing and finally, generated shares are embedded into the cover images by adopting inverted pattern LSB substitution method which gives better quality stego images.

CISSKA-LSB: color image steganography using stego key-directed adaptive LSB substitution method

Information hiding is an active area of research where secret information is embedded in innocent-looking carriers such as images and videos for hiding its existence while maintaining their visual quality. Researchers have presented various image steganographic techniques since the last decade, focusing on payload and image quality. However, there is a trade-off between these two metrics and keeping a better balance between them is still a challenging issue. In addition, the existing methods fail to achieve better security due to direct embedding of secret data inside images without encryption consideration, making data extraction relatively easy for adversaries. Therefore, in this work, we propose a secure image steganographic framework based on stego key-directed adaptive least significant bit (SKA-LSB) substitution method and multi-level cryptography. In the proposed scheme, stego key is encrypted using a two-level encryption algorithm (TLEA); secret data is encrypted using a multi-level encryption algorithm (MLEA), and the encrypted information is then embedded in the host image using an adaptive LSB substitution method, depending on secret key, red channel, MLEA, and sensitive contents. The quantitative and qualitative experimental results indicate that the proposed framework maintains a better balance between image quality and security, achieving a reasonable payload with relatively less computational complexity, which confirms its effectiveness compared to other state-of-the-art techniques.

An Adjustable Interpolation-based Data Hiding Algorithm Based on LSB Substitution and Histogram Shifting

Data hiding can be regarded as a type of image processing techniques. Other image processing operations are usually integrated to increase the embedding capacity or decrease the visual distortion. Interpolation is an example of this type of operation. However, previous interpolation-based data hiding algorithms suffered from low and fixed embedding capacity and high visual distortion. This study proposes a more effective two-stage data hiding algorithm based on interpolation, LSB substitution, and histogram shifting. First, the authors modify the formula for embedding capacity calculation and make some adjustments on the sample pixels determination. A threshold is used to obtain the block complexity and each embeddable pixel has a different amount of message embedded. Second, an LSB substitution method and an optimal pixel adjustment process are adopted to raise the image quality. Finally, the authors' proposed algorithm can support adjustable embedding capacity. Compared to the previous algorithm, the experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.

High Capacity Image Steganography Technique based on LSB Substitution Method

High Capacity Image Steganography Technique based on LSB Substitution Method

Experimental Analysis and Review of "Increased Capacity of Information Hiding"

With the quick progress and extensive use of internet, information transmission faces confronts of security and unauthorized access of secret data. In this situation steganography is considered as gifted approach. Steganography is the science of hidden writing schemes in which the presence of concealed information is not noticeable. This paper is the detailed experimental analysis and review of “Increased Capacity of Information Hiding in Least Significant Bit Method” of steganography. Analysis is based on popular steganalysis tools, image quality measures, security analysis and worst case situation. Experimental result of selected method of steganography is compared with the basic LSB substitution method, direct LSB substitution for two bits, for three bits and for four bits. The results shows the clear evidences of the fact that increased capacity method have preference over the direct LSB substitution, two bit substitution, three bits substitution and four bits substitution. All these results are checked for both the color and grayscale images. Moreover this review and analysis could be a deep understanding of steganography and will be a helpful analysis for presenting new approaches in this field.

An Image Steganography Method Resistive To Fall Off Boundary Value Problem With Five Pixel Pair Differencing

Although secret information can be securely hidden in the cover image using PVD approach, it suffers from fall off boundary problem especially when the pixel values are close to the boundaries. In the PVD approach, the pixel values of two pixels in a pair are so adjusted that the difference between these two pixel values represents the hidden information. But in this process, sometimes the pixel values exceed the boundaries and the cover image becomes unsuitable for hiding secret information. The proposed method is robust against the fall off boundary problem. Cover image is partitioned in the blocks of 2 × 3 pixels forming five pairs in each block. Difference value is calculated for each pair. If the difference value of at least one pair is greater than 127, the block is marked as edged block otherwise it is marked as smooth block. Fall off boundary problem is severe for edged blocks. Hence LSB substitution method is used for hiding secret data in the edged block and PVD approach is used for hiding secret data in smooth block. A separate selection process is used for selecting edged blocks for hiding secret data since hiding data using LSB substitution method can convert it into smooth block. This conversion of edged block into smooth block during embedding process results in the unsuccessful extraction of original secret data during extraction. The proposed method provides improved hiding capacity and PSNR values in comparison with existing image steganography methods based on PVD approach.

A novel magic LSB substitution method (M-LSB-SM) using multi-level encryption and achromatic component of an image

Image Steganography is a thriving research area of information security where secret data is embedded in images to hide its existence while getting the minimum possible statistical detectability. This paper proposes a novel magic least significant bit substitution method (M-LSB-SM) for RGB images. The proposed method is based on the achromatic component (I-plane) of the hue-saturation-intensity (HSI) color model and multi-level encryption (MLE) in the spatial domain. The input image is transposed and converted into an HSI color space. The I-plane is divided into four sub-images of equal size, rotating each sub-image with a different angle using a secret key. The secret information is divided into four blocks, which are then encrypted using an MLE algorithm (MLEA). Each sub-block of the message is embedded into one of the rotated sub-images based on a specific pattern using magic LSB substitution. Experimental results validate that the proposed method not only enhances the visual quality of stego images but also provides good imperceptibility and multiple security levels as compared to several existing prominent methods.

A High Capacity Secured Image Steganography Method with Five Pixel Pair Differencing and LSB Substitution

Most of the steganography techniques, based on pixel value difference, use the difference between the pixel values to hide the information. In this paper, an algorithm is proposed which combines the LSB and PVD steganography techniques to provide high data hiding capacity with acceptable stego image quality. Instead of using the original difference to hide the information, the difference is revised before it is used for hiding the information. This introduces an additional layer of security for the secret information. The algorithm divides the cover image in the blocks of 2  3 pixels. One of the pixels in the block is used as common pixel, which forms five pixel pairs with remaining five pixels in the block. The algorithm hides three secret bits in the common pixel using the LSB substitution method and then use the PVD based approach to hide data in five pixel pairs in each block. The algorithm determines the average (N) of the number of bits that can be hidden in the block. If the difference value allows M-bits to be hidden in the pair, then bits ≤ N are hidden in that pair. The result shows that the algorithm provides higher hiding capacity with better PSNR values as compared to other methods investigated in this study. Index Terms—Information security, LSB substitution, Pixel value differencing, PSNR.

An Adaptive Steganography Scheme Based on Visual Quality and Embedding Capacity Improvement

In this paper, a steganography technique using LSB substitution and PVD method is presented as an adaptive scheme in the spatial domain. Our method partitions the grayscale image into several non-overlapping blocks with three consecutive pixels. The embedding algorithm can both replace the secret data with the LSBs of the middle pixel and embed it in the difference values between the middle pixel and its two neighboring pixels of the cover-block. The number of secret bits is determined adaptively based on the range divisions for embedding in the difference value. We define a new range division on gray level which takes into account a larger embedding capacity for bits. After the embedding, the proposed method detects the pixels which are sensitive to hyper distortion. Then, the embedding process will be repeated to produce insignificant visual distortion in those pixels. Our experimental results demonstrate that this iterative steganography scheme prevents significant visual distortion into stego-image. The generated PSNR values are higher than the corresponding values of the most commonly used methods, discussed in this study. Furthermore, the experimental results show that the hiding capacity increased enormously when the proposed range division is used. Finally, we illustrate that the method can pass RS and steganalysis detector attacks. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v4i4.6307

Steganography Technique for Hiding Text Information in Color Image using Improved LSB Method

In this paper author has purposed improved LSB substitution method for hiding text information written in text file into color image. In this method each character of secret message including special character such as space, enter, <,?, $etc. is converted in ASCII code then each value is converted in 8 bit binary number. Each bit of each character is embedded in last LSB of each pixel of cover image. Since only last bit each pixel of cover image get changed, this method is capable of producing a secret-embedded image that is totally indistinguishable from the original image by the human eye. This method is applied to cover image of bitmap and jpeg format to show that this technique is suitable for both format.

Transmission of Hidden Cipher Text over a Binary Symmetric Channel

A new high capacity and robust image steganography method based on human vision sensitivity is introduced. Kohonen Neural network is trained according to the contrast sensitivity of pixels present in cover image. Trained network classify the pixels of cover image in different levels of sensitivity. Data embedding is performed by LSB substitution method, which replaces the least significant bits of cover image with secret information that would be embedded. But prior to embedding, cryptography is applied on text. We used Optimal Pixel Adjustment Process (OPAP) to obtain an optimal mapping function to reduce the difference error between the original image and the stego-image, therefore improving the hiding capacity with low distortions. On the destination side, the original image is not needed for extracting the embedded data. Convolution Code are also used to improve performance of existing algorithm over binary symmetric channel (BSC). It is observed that the capacity and security is increased with acceptable PSNR in the proposed algorithm compared to the existing algorithm.

Integer Wavelet based Secret Data Hiding by Selecting Variable Bit Length

is a process of hiding secret informations like image, video, audio, and text message in a carriers like image, video, and audio. Proposed method uses the secret information as a text message which is embedded in a color image. The existing methods hide the information using constant bit length in integer wavelet coefficients. This paper uses variable bit length based on integer wavelet coefficients to hide the data in a particular positions using secret key by LSB substitution method. Hence this algorithm increases the embedding capacity of the text message and obtained stego image is imperceptible for human vision. This technique embeds binary bit stream of secret text message into the 8 bit color image. The embedded confidential information can be extracted from stego image without the knowledge of original image by considering the same secret key. On average of 2.50 bits can be embedded in each wavelet coefficient of the input color image. Hence this method gives better results in both embedding capacity and PSNR than the existing methods.

High Security Image Steganography with Modified Arnold�s Cat Map

Information security is concerned with maintaining the secrecy, reliability and accessibility of data. The main objective of information security is to protect information and information system from unauthorized access, revelation, disruption, alteration, annihilation and use. This paper uses spatial domain LSB substitution method for information embedding and Arnold’s transform is applied twice in two different phases to ensure security. The system is tested and validated against a series of standard images and the results show that the method is highly secure and provides high data hiding capacity. General Terms Digital Image Processing, Steganography, Security