Dual Layered Secure Algorithm for Image Steganography
Shreyank N Gowda
Department of Computer Science And Engineering, R.V.College Of Engineering, Bangalore,
Karnataka, India
kini5gowda@gmail.com
AbstractSteganography is the method of hiding
information of any type, using some type of cover medium. The
type of information can be text, audio or video. Image
steganography is the process when the cover medium used is an
image. The proposed algorithm is a modulation of the standard
Least Significant Bit Algorithm (LSB). In the proposed
algorithm the information to be hidden is considered to be text.
This text is taken and first encrypted using the Data Encryption
Standard Algorithm (DES) with the help of a key. This key to
encrypt the data is then encrypted using the RSA algorithm.
This encrypted text is then hidden in an image using the
standard LSB algorithm and then the image is sent. To decrypt
the data, first the key has to be decrypted using RSA algorithm.
Next, using that key the rest of the data is extracted out by
decryption using DES algorithm. This provides a dual layer of
security, by first encrypting the text using DES and then
encrypting the key for DES using RSA. This ensure high
reliability of the algorithm.
Index TermsDES, Steganography, LSB, RSA.
I. INTRODUCTION
Steganography is often misinterpreted with cryptography.
Both are used for the same purpose, to hide something
important. However while in cryptography the main intention
is to make extracting the data impossible, in steganography
the main aim is to prevent any sort of attack. Cryptographic
algorithms yield output where the information can be seen
and the nature of this output would likely cause an attack.
Steganographic algorithms try to ensure such attacks never
happen.
This paper will try to combine the benefits of both
algorithms to serve their main purpose: hiding of data. Some
standard algorithms are used and combined together to make
a more efficient algorithm in itself.
First let us consider the famous LSB algorithm. To
understand LSB algorithm consider an example, a grid for 3
pixels of a 24-bit image can be as follows: 00101101
00011100 11011100 10100110 11000100 00001100
11010010 10101101 01100011 When the number 200,
which binary representation is 11001000, is embedded into
the least significant bits of this part of the image, the resulting
grid is as follows: 00101101 00011101 11011100 10100110
11000101 00001101 11010010 10101100 01100011.
The DES (Data Encryption Standard) algorithm is the most
widely used encryption algorithm in the world. For many
years, and among many people, "secret code making" and
DES have been synonymous.
978-1-5090-2399-8/16/$31.00 2016
c IEEE
RSA is an algorithm used by modern computers to encrypt
and decrypt messages. It is an asymmetric
cryptographic algorithm. Asymmetric means that there are
two different keys. This is also called public key
cryptography, because one of them can be given to everyone.
II. BACKGROUND
In [1] the author conveys the idea of hiding an image using
a texture as the cover image. Since a texture is a set of pixels
that repeat itself it becomes much easier to hide data. Also
since the texture could be extended, much larger information
could be hidden.
In [2] the authors use non-linear chaotic mapping. The data
to be hidden is first embedded onto a scrambled image. At the
same time the cover image is subject to Discrete Wavelet
Transform. This image is later embedded along with the
scrambled image. This method can hide large amount of data,
but should the map be obtained its extremely easy to obtain
the information.
In [3] the authors suggest a method of hiding data using
any one of the RGB colour channels. An image has 3
channels, so changing any one channel does not significantly
moderate the image from a visual perspective. However this
method cannot be used for large images.
In [4] first Huffman encoding is done on the data and then
the data is broken down to blocks. Simultaneously DCT is
performed on the cover image. LSB is then modified using
Huffman values obtained. Maintaining the Huffman codes
are very important since loss of Huffman codes means loss of
data. Computation time for this method is relatively large.
In [5] dual layer of security to the data is given, the first
layer is using the standard Least Significant Bit method and
the second layer involves using the Data Encryption Standard
Algorithm. Steganography does not replace the encryption of
data, instead it provides extra security feature to it. This helps
to make the data more secure as the text is now encrypted as
well.
In [6] the message desired to be hidden is embedded in
only the blue part of the RGB channel. Results showed that
this enhanced the security level of the image as visual
distortion was not visible.
In [7] the secret data is taken and firstly hidden by using
the Vigenere encryption method to increase the standard of
protection of the data. Next, the Lempel Ziv Welch (LZW)
technique is used to compress the data to hide its actual
capacity. Afterwards, the extended knight tour algorithm is
22
implemented where each bit stream of the data is made to done in comparison to the standard Least Significant Bit
spread out on the image. This enhances the robustness of the Algorithm,
image. 1) determine maximum size of file that can be hidden
2) time needed for execution of both algorithms
In [8], a steganography algorithm based on discrete cosine 3) Peak Signal To Noise Ratio for original to new image
transform, Arnold Transform and Chaotic System is
proposed. The system generates a random sequence for Table I shows the results for a series of tests done to
spreading data in the frequency band Discrete Cosine determine the maximum size of a text file that could be
Transform coefficient of the cover image. The secret data is hidden using both algorithms. As can be seen from results,
again scrambled utilising the Arnold Cat Map which both give the same output.
increases the security. The recovery process is repeating the
method in reverse. Table I. Result for determining maximum size that can
be hidden
III. PROPOSED METHOD
First the user takes the text to be hidden and encrypts it S.No Input Size Output Output for proposed
using the DES algorithm with the help of a key. The key will for LSB algorithm
be decided by the user and without the key it becomes 1 320x240 512kB 512kB
impossible to decrypt the information later on. 2 1280x780 2MB 2MB

The key is then hidden using the RSA algorithm which Table II represents the results for the experiment
encrypts the key and then sends the key separately. This conducted to determine the time needed for execution of the
encryption of the key makes it even more harder for any algorithm in comparison with the standard LSB algorithm.
eaves dropper to decrypt the information. Also the RSA As can be seen from the table time taken to execute the
algorithm works extremely fast for small data and the key is standard LSB is lesser. This is natural, since we are
usually only 56 bits. This helps to ensure a very efficient combining encryption to the proposed algorithm.
execution in terms of time needed.
Table II. Time of execution
This encrypted text is then hidden in an image using the
standard LSB algorithm. The LSB algorithm ensures that S.No Input Size Output Output
there is not much of a visually perceptible change. Using (Image Size, Text size) for for
these three algorithms ensures an increase in security of the LSB proposed
information whilst also ensuring there is minimal chance of algorith
attack since there is not much change in the image. The entire m
algorithm is executed in Python using OpenCV. 1 1280x780, 1kB 0.5 secs 0.671
secs
2 1280x780, 1.265 1.368
10kB secs secs
Start Stop 3 1280x780, 8.327 8.714
100kB secs secs
4 1280x780, 40.111 42.214
Encrypt Data Original 512kB Secs secs
using DES with Information
help of key obtained
Table III presents the results of Peak Signal to Noise Ratio
between the pre-algorithm image to the post-algorithm
Encrypt key using Decrypt using key
image. The Mean Square Error (MSE) and the Peak Signal to
RSA obtained
Noise Ratio (PSNR) are the two main error metrics used to
compare image compression quality. The MSE represents the
cumulative squared error between the compressed and the
Hide Encrypted Extract key by original image, whereas PSNR represents a measure of the
Data in image decrypting it peak error. This is used to indicate the maximum difference
using LSB using RSA between the images. The Peak Signal to Noise Ratio is the
difference between corresponding pixel values of the
pre-algorithm to post-algorithm image. This is done using
Send image and Extract the MatLab. The higher the value of PSNR the lesser is the
key to receiver information by difference in quality of the image.
using LSB
Table III. PSNR value determination
Fig. 1. Flowchart of Proposed Method
S.No Input Size Output Output for
IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS (Image Size, for LSB proposed
To test the strength of the algorithm following tests were Text size) algorithm

2nd International Conference on Applied and Theoretical Computing and Communication Technology (iCATccT) 23
 1 1280x780, 77.15 77.15 The proposed algorithm does not make much of a
1kB difference in terms of maximum size of a file that
2 1280x780, 71.14 71.16 can be hidden.
10kB The proposed algorithm takes slightly more time to
3 1280x780, 63.25 63.24 execute than the standard LSB.
100kB The proposed algorithm does not make any
4 1280x780, 51.23 51.25 changes visually in comparison with LSB i.e they
512kB both give virtually same results.
The most important aspect here is that the LSB can
Following are the images before and after execution of the be easily decoded. By using encryption to hide
proposed algorithm. As can be seen, the difference is not data and using RSA to hide the key for encryption
visually perceptible. we provide a dual layer security in comparison to
the standard LSB algorithm.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Any achievement, be it scholastic or otherwise does not
depend solely on the individual efforts but on the guidance,
encouragement and cooperation of intellectuals, elders and
friends. A number of personalities, in their own capacities have
helped me in carrying out this project work. I would like to take
this opportunity to thank them all.
I would like to thank Dr. G Shobha, Head of
Department, Computer Science & Engineering, R.V.C.E,
Bengaluru, for her valuable suggestions and expert advice.
I thank my Parents, my brother, and all the Faculty
members of Department of Computer Science & Engineering
along with my friends for their constant support and
encouragement.

REFERENCES
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Fig 2. Original Image [2] S.Thenmozhi and M.Chandrasekaran, A novel technique for Image
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Fig. 3. Image containing data
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V. CONCLUSION Computer Science Issues, Vol. 9, Issue 3, No 1, May 2012 pp 131-139
Following conclusions can be made on the basis of the
analysis of the algorithm.

24 2nd International Conference on Applied and Theoretical Computing and Communication Technology (iCATccT)