Improving Data Security Using Modified LSB-Based Image Steganography Technique
Ahmad Kayed Maryam Juma AlSinani · Journal of Hunan University · 2020
This research improves the Savitha Bhallamudi technique by randomizing the hiding places of bits in the cover image. To enable the main quality characteristics of the image, the following steganography algorithms were used: hiding capacity, perceptual transparency, robustness, and resistance against attack. This method, using the Savitha technique, is based on the least significant bit (LSB) system. The LSB system involves sequentially hiding secret data in the LSB of the image. The main idea of the proposed method is to enhance security by embedding the bits in an image randomly, depending on the value of different bytes of the original (cover) image. This methodology was developed in stages, with the first process hiding data randomly in the images by checking the first byte of the original image only. The second process goes through some bytes in the cover image and hides data based on the value of these bytes. With this new method, results were tested on a sample of ten images. The evaluation of the effectiveness of this method’s experimental results was confirmed by using the calculations of two metrics: mean squared error (MSE) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). The achievement of better outcomes from the proposed method could improve the results of MSE, provide better visual quality (PSNR), and be used for comparison to the original Savitha method. The new results reveal the improvement of the amount of randomness that can reduce the level of capacity and enhance security (MSE average is 27.8 using the Savitha technique; MSE is 21.1 using the first enhanced method). The new results further illustrate that steganography performed by random bits-hiding is less prone to attack compared to sequence embedding as it is difficult to recognize the pattern used in hiding the secret message . Keywords: security, steganography, least significant bit, image, randomness