International Journal of Computer & Communication Engineering Research (IJCCER) Volume 1 - Issue 3 September 2013

Extra Security Enhancement of Cryptography and Steganography for Digital Message Hiding
Pye Pye Aung, Tun Min Naing University of Technology (Yatanarpon Cyber City) pyepyeaung@gmail.com, tunminnaing@gmail.com AbstractCryptography and Steganography are two popular ways of sending / hiding information in a secret way. Cryptography hides the existence of the message and Steganography distorts the message itself. There are many cryptography techniques available; among them AES is one of the most powerful techniques. In Steganography there are various techniques in different domains like spatial domain, frequency domain etc., to hide the message. But in frequency domain, it is very difficult to detect hidden message and for that we can use various transformations like DCT, FFT and Wavelets etc. In this case study, it is developing a system where it is developed a new technique in which Cryptography and Steganography are used as combined part along with developed enhanced security technique. In Cryptography, AES algorithm is used to encrypt a message and to generate the cipher text. In Stegnography, a part of the position points of the digit (1) from the cipher text is hidden in DCT of an image and is used to generate two secret keys which make this system highly secured. This kind of system is to be introduced in applications such as transferring secret data that can be authentication of various fields. This system ensures a secure data transferring option between the source and destination stations. Keyword: Cryptography, Steganography, Stego- Image and DCT Coefficient. 1. INTRODUCTION Classic methods of securing communication mainly base on cryptography, which encrypts plain text to generate cipher text. However, the transmission of cipher text may easily arouse attackers suspicion, and the cipher text may thus be intercepted, attacked or decrypted violently. In order to make up for the shortcomings of cryptographic techniques, steganography has been developed as a new covert communication means in recent years. It transfers message secretly by embedding it into a cover medium with the use of information hiding techniques. Cryptography and Steganography are two important branches of information security. Cryptography provides encryption techniques for a secure communication. Cryptography is the science that studies the mathematical techniques for keeping message secure and free from attacks [4], [5]. Steganography is the art and science of hiding communication [6]. Steganography involves hiding information so it appears that no information is hidden at all. The goal of steganography is to avoid drawing suspicion to the transmission of the secret message. In this paper we focus to develop one system which uses both cryptography and steganography for high end security. The AES and DCT algorithm are very secured techniques for cryptography and steganography. The basic idea for the proposed system will do on two main facts. Firstly, we will be hiding a part of the encrypted message. And secondly, the unhidden part of the message will be converted into three secret keys. http://ijccer.org e-ISSN: 2321-4198 This paper is organized in six Sections. Firstly this paper is described the introduction of Steganography and Cryptography techniques under the heads of Introduction in Section-I. All this mentioned under heads of Backgrounds in Section-II and there it is clearly pointing out the usage of cryptography with steganography. In Section-III, the proposed architecture and mechanism are described in detail. Finally, this paper described the algorithm of the proposed system and concluded and mentions its further enhancements in Section-IV and Section-V respectively. All used references during writing of this paper are mention in references Section-VI.

2. BASIC CONCEPT AND RELATED WORK

There are some specific security requirements for cryptography including authentication, privacy and confidentially. In this paper we have used AES algorithm in cryptography. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a specification for the encryption of electronic data. It has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide. AES is a symmetric-key algorithm, meaning the same key is used for both encrypting and decrypting the data. AES is the first publicly accessible and open cipher approved by the National Security Agency (NSA) for top secret information when used in an NSA approved cryptographic module. Originally called Rijndael, the cipher was developed by two Belgian cryptographers, Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen. AES is the name of the standard, and this standard is a variant of Rijndael where the block size is restricted to 128 bits. Advantages of using AES are very secure, reasonable cost, flexibility and simplicity [1]. Steganography is a tool to conceal high sensitive information and it is an art of hiding information in a plain sight. The word Steganography comes from the word steganos (covered) and graptos(writing )which technically means covered or hidden writing. The majority of todays steganographic systems uses multimedia objects like image, audio and video etc as cover media because people often transmit digital pictures over email and other internet communication [2]. Depending upon the nature of cover object, steganography can be divided into five types: Text steganography, Image steganography, Audio steganography, video steganography, and Protocol steganography. Some of the steganography methods are; (a) (b) (c) (d) LSB. MASKING. FILTERING. TRANSFORM TECHNIQUE.

The best known steganographic method that works in the frequency domain is the DCT, which can separate the Image p-ISSN: 2321-418X Page 72

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into High, Middle and Low Frequency components. To hide information we need to set a threshold value for the DCT coefficients depending on the quality of the images. In this paper we have used DCT-frequency domain algorithm for steganography.

3.3 Stego Creation Step

For Stego Module the following steps are considered for hiding the above generated Cipher text (Refer Figure3). (a) Take the first ten allocated position points of digit (1) from the above discussed Security Module. (b) Scramble the first ten allocated position points of digit (1) using a 64 bit key (Key 3). (c) Take a Color Image. (d) Find the DCT of the Image using color transformation. (e) Hide the Cipher by altering DCTs. (f) Apply Inverse DCT. (g) Find the Stego Image.
First ten allocation points of digit (1) from the Security module

3. PROPOSED COMBINING TECHNIQUE

In this paper, the problem of unauthorized data access is minimized by combining cryptography and steganography. In cryptography this system is used AES algorithm with its symmetric key and the cipher text is converted into two extra keys for high security, then the steganography is implemented to the key-3 to get stego image. The system is designed with three creation steps to hide the text. (a) For Cryptography Crypto Creation Step (b) For Steganography Stego Creation Step (c) For Extra Securtiy Security Creation Step

Scramble the text using a key 3

Take a Color Image

3.1 Crypto Creation Step

For Crypto Module the following steps are considered for encrypting the data (Refer Figure1): (a) Insert text for encryption. (b) Apply AES algorithm using 128 bit key. (c) Convert cipher text into types of format Hexadecimal, based 64 string and ASCII code respectively.
AES Method using Key1 Convert Cipher Text into Hexadecimal, based 64 string and ASCII code

Stego Image

Inverse DCT

Hide the first ten allocation points of digit (1) by altering DCT

Find the DCT of the Image

Figure.3: Stego Creation Step 4. PROPOSED SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION This system is developed in Visual Studio C# platform, mainly three creation steps involved: (a) Crypto Creation Step AES Implementation Step (b) Security Creation Step Newly Developed Technique (c) Stego Creation Step DCT Techniques Implementation Step

Insert Text

Figure 1: Crypto Creation Step

3.2 Security Creation Step

This module is used to modify the cipher text and to generate two extra keys. In the reverse process it regenerates the original cipher text (Refer Figure2). This module works as follows: (a) Create array and allocate all the position points of digit (1) from the cipher text. (b) Remove all the positions points of digit (1) from the cipher text and the remaining characters and digits are going to transform as modified cipher text. (c) Remove the first ten allocated position of digit (1) among all digit (1) positions array and generate as a secret key (key 2). (d) Take first ten allocated position points of digit (1) from all position points of digit (1) array and these ten digit(1) will be changed into the form of a secret key key(3).
Cipher Text in Hexadecimal, based 64 string and ASCII code

4.1 Algorithm for the proposed system

The steps of the algorithm for hiding text and retrieving text are discussed below (Refer Figure4 & Figure5) 4.1.1 Hiding Text (a) Encrypt the original message into cipher text by using AES algorithm with symmetric key of key 1. (b) Convert the cipher text into Hexadecimal format in the form of alphabets (A to F) and digits (0 to 9), Based 64 string format in the form of alphabets small letter (a to z), capital letter (A to Z), digits (0 to 9) and two arithmetic character (+/-) and ASCII code format of (256) characters respectively. (c) Create array and allocate all the position points of digit (1) from converted cipher text and remove the first ten allocated points of all digit (1) positions and then generate the key (Key 2). (d) Take the first ten allocated position points of digit (1) from array of cipher text and generate it as the third key (Key 3); this part will be hidden in the image. (e) The cipher text without having digit (1) will be remained as modified cipher text. (f) Hide the first ten allocated position points of digit (1) in the image and get Stego-Image.

Generate Key 2 by removing the first ten allocation points from the original positions of digit (1) array from cipher text

Create array and allocate all the positions of digit (1) from the cipher text

Take first ten allocation points of digits (1) and generate as key 3 to be hidden

Generate modified cipher text without being digit (1)

Figure 2: Security Creation Step

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Generate Cipher text using AES algorithm

(a) AES for cryptography (b) DCT manipulation for Steganography. This system contains total 3 keys.

Create array and allocate all the position points of digit(1) from the cipher text

Remove all the position points of digit(1) from the original cipher text

(a) One 128 bits symmetric key for AES algorithm (b) Two 8 bits (1 byte) generated keys for scrambling the cipher text and retrieving the original message. These two extra generated keys make the system highly secured. If any kind of attacker detects the part of the hidden message from the stego image it will be totally meaningless and moreover until the complete set of keys are available getting the original message is impossible. 5. CONCLUSION In this work, a new system is developed for the combination of Cryptography and Steganography using three keys which could be proven a highly secured method for data communication in near future. Steganography, especially combined with cryptography, is a powerful tool which enables people to communicate without possible eavesdroppers even knowing there is a form of communication in the first place. It can enhance confidentiality of information and provide a mean of communicating privately. The proposed method will provide acceptable image quality with very little distortion in the image. It will produce efficient robustness of stego-image though it had been attacked by other technique. This system is to provide high security for key information exchanging. REFERENCES
[1] Proposed System for Data Hiding Using Cryptography and Setganography International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 8887) Volume 8 No.9, October 2010. [2] A Novel Information Security Scheme using Cryptic Steganography B. Raja Rao et. al. / Indian Journal of Computer Science and Engineering Vol. 1 No. 4 327-332. [3] Novel Security Scheme for Image Steganography using Cryptography Technique, International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, Volume 2, Issue 4, April 2012. [4] Domenico Daniele Bloisi , Luca Iocchi: Image based Steganography and cryptography, Computer Vision theory and applications volume 1 , pp. 127-134 . [5] Menezes, Alfred , Paul C van Oorschot ,Scot t A. Vanstone, Handbook of Applied Cryptography. CRC Press, October 1996, ISBN 0-8493-8523-7. [6] William Stallings, Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and practices, Pearson education, Third Edit ion, ISBN 81-7808-902-5.

Take first ten allocation Remaining of all allocation points of digit (1) from points of digit (1) array after the digit (1) array of removing the first ten points cipher text Key 3 First ten allocation points of digit (1)

Key 2

Hide first ten allocation points of digit (1) in Image

Stego Image

Figure 4: Proposed System for Hiding Text 4.1.2 Retrieving Text (a) Retrieve the ten allocated position points of digit (1) from the image and unscramble it with Key 3. (b) Add back the first ten position points of digit (1) into its all position points of digit (1) using Key 2. (c) Add back all position points of digit (1) to the modified cipher text in order to get the original cipher text in Hexadecimal, Based 64 string and ASCII form. (d) Regenerate the original text message from the cipher text with the help of AES algorithm and its key (Key 1).

Key 3

Key 2

Stego Image

Retrieve first ten allocation points of digit (1)

Club first ten allocation points of digit (1) and rest of the digit (1) array

Figure5: Proposed System for Retrieving Text 4.1.3 Security Properties of Proposed System The proposed system is highly secure as it is a combination of two highly secured techniques. http://ijccer.org e-ISSN: 2321-4198 p-ISSN: 2321-418X Page 74

Key 2 and Key 3

Add all the position points of digit (1) to the original cipher text

Key1

Reconstruct the cipher text

Retrieve the original text message