See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/336847360

ENHANCED STEGANOGRAPHY USING VISUAL CRYPTOGRAPHY

Conference Paper · September 2019

DOI: 10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40

CITATIONS READS
0 50

2 authors:

Sahlah Abd Ali Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel

University of Mosul University of Mosul
7 PUBLICATIONS   3 CITATIONS    3 PUBLICATIONS   2 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Sahlah Abd Ali on 28 October 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 REVISTA AUS 26-2 / Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel et al.,/ DOI:10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40/ www.ausrevista.com/ editor@ausrevista.com

 Recepción/ 27 junio 2019

 Aceptación/ 25 agosto 2019

ENHANCED STEGANOGRAPHY USING VISUAL

CRYPTOGRAPHY
Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel a,

ESTEGANOGRAFÍA MEJORADA CON CRIPTOGRAFÍA Sahlah Abed Ali b

VISUAL a
Mosul University
College of computer and mathematic
science, Mosul, Iraq,
yaseen-hikmat@uomosul.edu.iq
b
Mosul University, College of computer and
mathematic science, Mosul, Iraq,
sahlah80@uomosul.edu.iq

ABSTRACT/ One of the most important issues for exchanging data is achieved through providing confidentiality for these data
in an open environment such as the Internet. Since encryption is suspicious for the attacker, the technique of hiding
information is used as a mean of achieving better confidentiality. Steganography is one of the important information hiding
techniques that is used to authenticate and secure the content in digital images. Least Significant Bit (LSB) technique becomes
more common, so the attacker can retrieve the hidden image. Encrypting the image first, then hiding it provides an additional
level of security and thus more difficulty for the attacker to get the hidden image. Ensuring data secrecy, especially image-
based secrets- is achieved through a technique named Visual Cryptography (VC). The image can be distributed in shares, and
when these shares are superimposed exactly together, the original image is discovered. In this paper, we proposed a novel
approach to enhance steganography technique based on using a new visual cryptography method. The proposed method gives
a high degree of secrecy for the hidden images. In addition to the large hiding capacity requirements with an improved value
of Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR). Keywords: Information security, steganography, visual cryptography.
RESUMEN/ Uno de los problemas más importantes para el intercambio de datos se logra al proporcionar confidencialidad para estos datos
en un entorno abierto como Internet. Como el encriptador es sospechoso para el atacante, la técnica de ocultar información se utiliza como
un medio para lograr una mejor confidencialidad. La esteganografía es una de las técnicas importantes para ocultar información que se utiliza
para autenticar y asegurar el contenido en imágenes digitales. La técnica de bit menos significativo (LSB) se vuelve más común, por lo que
el atacante puede recuperar la imagen oculta. Cifrar primero la imagen y luego ocultarla proporciona un nivel adicional de seguridad y, por
lo tanto, más dificultades para que el atacante obtenga la imagen oculta. Asegurar el secreto de los datos, especialmente los secretos basados
en imágenes, se logra a través de una técnica llamada Visual Cryptography (VC). La imagen se puede distribuir en recursos compartidos, y
cuando estos recursos se superponen exactamente juntos, se descubre la imagen original. En este artículo, propusimos un enfoque novedoso
para mejorar la técnica de esteganografía basada en el uso de un nuevo método de criptografía visual. El método propuesto proporciona un
alto grado de secreto para las imágenes ocultas. Además de los grandes requisitos de capacidad de ocultación con un valor mejorado de la
relación pico de señal a ruido (PSNR). Palabras clave: seguridad de la información, esteganografía, criptografía visual.

Introduction asset of steganography. Text Steganography

Steganography is a technique that is used to is one of the most famous approaches for
hide the significant data, either message or hiding the secret message in each n th
image, into another image [1]. Many studies character in a text; nevertheless, it is an
focused on steganography, where there are unsafe approach. Subsequently, image
ARTÍCULO

several different algorithms and methods of
hiding data in different types of files [2].
Primarily, this technique is used for hiding
messages, so it is considered as the main
Steganography has emerged and became the
most popular technique nowadays for hiding
information in images. However, if the
message is hidden in such a way that does not
326
 REVISTA AUS 26-2 / Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel et al.,/ DOI:10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40/ www.ausrevista.com/ editor@ausrevista.com
appear suspicious, it will possibly not be
detected. Anyhow, a steganalysis will easily
decode the hidden text if there is any noise or
other signs that are visible in an image.
Meanwhile, audio and video steganography
appeared to hide information inside an audio
file [3].
Visual data is encrypted in visual cryptography
in such a way that decryption does not require
a computer. The basic idea of this scheme is
splitting the image into shares, hence,
protecting an image and satisfying security,
confidentiality and authentication
[1][4][5][6]. Visual cryptography schemes
are only applied to binary images, which
contain black and white pixels. This is
achieved by splitting the image into two
shares. Reconstructing the original image is
done by stacking both shares. Most recent
studies have concentrated on binary images,
few of them proposed approaches for
processing gray-level and colored images.
Gray images basic model does not require any
complex cryptographic computations, but it
suffers from pixel expansion, where the size of
the retrieved image is not equal the original
image size [7][8]. Most of these methods,
such as the methods that are applied to color
images, do not return the original image. The
retrieved image losses a lot of data,
consequently, the quality of the retrieved
image differs from the original one [7][8].
Steganography is also an encryption
technique that is used to hide data in text
format [9]. One of the most significant
steganography advantages over cryptography
is the process of protecting the sensitive data
alone. At the same time, steganography is
concerned with concealing the fact that a
secret data is being sent, in addition to
concealing the sensitive data [10].
The major difference between them: the basic
goal of cryptography is to provide secure
communications by altering data into a form,
which makes it different, so that it cannot be
understood by the observer. On the other
hand, steganography hides the data itself that
appears difficult to be observed. Thus, it is
better to use both steganography and
cryptography techniques to protect data from
unwanted parties. The strength of
steganography can be extended by combining
ARTÍCULO
it with cryptography; hence cryptography is
used to complement steganography not to
replace it, as it provides an extra layer of
327 protection [11].
Literature Survey
Moni Naor and Adi Shamir 1994, proposed
Visual cryptography as a simple, secure and
effective method to encrypt and decrypt
sensitive data. These methods are called
Visual Secret Sharing (VSS)[4][6]. Colored
images were first used in visual cryptography
scheme, 1997, by Verheul and Van Tilborg,
as they proposed a general construction
through using the concept of arcs for a colored
VSS scheme thus users can share the colored
images [6][12][13].
CHING-NUNG and CHI-SUNG, 2000, have
suggested a new construction for the colored
VSS scheme. This scheme can be easily
executed on a black and white VSS scheme
and get much better block length than the
scheme [6].
In 2003, another VCS scheme for gray images
was proposed by Lin and Tsai for handling the
problem of pixel expansion of Verheul and
Tilborg’s VCS scheme. They have improved
the pixel expansion by applied pre processing
method such that the rate of pixel expansion
is the same as that of black and white VCS
scheme that proposed by Naor and
Shamir[5][16].
In 2007, Chen et al. proposed a gray scale
VCS scheme where he has extended the
results of the gray scale images without any
pixel expansion, But this scheme suffers from
that it had no support of the colored images
and only support (k,k) threshold setting. On
the other hand, this scheme needs
preprocessing to be done before secret
sharing on the original images [5].
Many new methods have recently be proposed
in order to improve confidentiality, reliability,
and efficiency in the fields of steganography
and visual cryptography schemes, hence, in
2010, the researchers have discussed some of
the best algorithms for each methods and then
compare between them. Ultimately, they
found that the combination of the two ideas
has achieved the desired result [2].
In 2012, the researchers describe a hybrid
technique to hide a secret message into an
image using VC and the Selected Least
Significant Bit (SLSB) encryption techniques
[17].
Many studies focus on steganography in
researches, where in 2013; the researchers
present various types of techniques used by
steganography as well as the implementation
of LSB method and develop an application that
uses LSB [3].
 REVISTA AUS 26-2 / Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel et al.,/ DOI:10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40/ www.ausrevista.com/ editor@ausrevista.com
Gulve and Joshi 2015, suggested an algorithm
that combines the LSB and the Pixel-Value-
Differencing (PVD) steganography techniques
to provide high ability data hiding with
acceptable image quality. The results that
were given by the algorithm provides higher
hiding capacity with better PSNR value [14].
In 2015, the researchers proposed a
technique that uses image processing,
steganography and visual cryptography to
embed message or text file in the image, the
results satisfied both security and hiding
capacity requirements [18].
In 2016, the researchers proposed a new VC
scheme to encrypt a color images using
symmetric key encryption procedure and
applied it on several images, the results show
good result without any distortion, in addition
to reduce a considerable time for encryption &
decryption and lossless transmissions of
images [7].
In 2017, Mohamed M. presented an image
steganography approach and divided the
cover image into 2x2 blocks and also using a
modified version of the (PVD) method, the
proposed approach perceptually outperforms
competing approaches [15].
In 2017, it was also proposed a new VC
scheme to encrypt a color images without any
pixel expansion and requires less space, the
results show efficient ways to encrypt a secret
color image and better value of PSNR [8].
Steganography and Visual Cryptography
Schemes
The basic steganography model consists of the
secret and the cover image or message, in
addition to the secret key with the embedding
method, as show in Figure(1). Images are the
most common medium that are used in
modern technologies as they are easy to be
delivered throughout communication. There
are three types of images: binary, gray scale,
and color images. The binary or black-white
image has only one bit value (0 for black – 1
for white). The gray image has 8-bit values,
while the RGB or color image has 24 bits. The
color images have a lot of information; hence,
they are more suitable to hide confidential
message or image without affecting the
quality of the image. There are different types
of steganography [19]:
- LSB (Least Significant Bit),
- Transform domain,
- Statistical methods,
- Distortion techniques,
- Hash-LSB and RSA algorithm.
Figure 1.The basic steganography model
In addition, there are three essential
steganographic systems:
1- Pure steganographic systems.
2- Secret key steganographic systems.
3- Public key steganographic systems.
In pure steganography, there is no need for a
key. Consequently, the security in this system
depends on security of hiding and returning
algorithms. The principle of secret and public
key steganographic depends on sharing the
key. The sender in a secret key
steganographic hides a secret message or
image into another image and returns the
hidden data by using the same secret key. In
this system the sender and the receiver are
capable of transferring a secret key over a
channel [20]. The visual cryptography
consists of different types of schemes that
are:
- (2,2) VCS
- (2,n) VCS
- (n,n) VCS
- (k,n) VCS
In (2,2) VC scheme the secret image is divided
into two different shares, (2,n) VCS splits it
into n shares, whereas two (or more) shares
that installed the secret image parameters will
be known. In (n,n) VCS splits the secret image
into n shares. In addition, when n out of n
shares are installed, the secret image is
known. In the case of (k,n) scheme, it splits
the image into n shares, as there is only
overlaid number of share, at least k shares of
the secret image parameters will be
known[21].
The Proposed Method
In this paper, both hidden and cover images
are used of BMP colored images. The proposed
method includes two phases: the first one is
for encrypting the image using the suggested
ARTÍCULO
method of visual encryption, while the second
phase performs the steganography, the
process of the proposed method as shown in
the following points: 328
 REVISTA AUS 26-2 / Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel et al.,/ DOI:10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40/ www.ausrevista.com/ editor@ausrevista.com

1. Replace the columns and rows of the

image depending on the key value.
2. Split the image into a group of blocks and
perform the process of exchanging
columns and rows for each block
separately, as in the previous point.
3. Divide the resulting image into four
sections and make a substitution between
those sections.
4. Split the resulting image into two parts
vertically so that the first part is used in
the process of shares configuration then
the second.
5. The process of share formation includes
the distribution of the rows of the first part
and then the second part so that the
distribution process row by row and
according to the key and thus the number
of shares produced equal to the length of
the key.
6. Hiding the cover images pixels of each
share by the key in the two least
significant bits is done after share
configuration. Figure 3.Embedding Process Flowchart
The working mechanism of the proposed Scheme
method can be illustrated by the example in The hidden image retrieval process requires
Figure (2) as well as a flowchart scheme in the recipient to know which key is used by the
Figure (3) with key length of 5. sender in order to retrieve the hidden image,
the following points shows the retrieval
process:
1. Obtain the least significant bit values of the
pixels in the received image and composition
the shares depending on the key.
2. Collect image bits of all the shares based on
a key value.
3. Divide the resulting image into four sections
and change the locations of those sections in
an opposite way of what was done at the
sending party.
4. Split the resulting image into blocks and
make a transposition for the columns and rows
of each block separately.
5. To get the original image the columns and
rows must be changed depending on the key.
The process of retrieving the hidden image can
be illustrated by the flowchart in Figure 4.

Figure 2.Cover and Share Images Example

Illustrating the Proposed Method by using key
length of 5
ARTÍCULO

329
 REVISTA AUS 26-2 / Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel et al.,/ DOI:10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40/ www.ausrevista.com/ editor@ausrevista.com

Table 1: PSNR Values Before and After

Embedding Process

Figure 4.Extracting Process Flowchart Scheme

Conclusion and Experimental Results
The purpose of this research is to improve
steganography using visual cryptography. The
proposed method includes hiding features of
the secret image before splitting it into shares
and hiding it in the second image. In order to Table 2: PSNR Values for Secret Image after
evaluate the performance of the proposed Retrieval Process
method, different sets of images with different
sizes were used. The proposed method
includes two stages: the first is the visual
cryptography process and the second is the
steganography process. In this paper PSNR
analysis is used, which is an essential
efficiency measure of the steganography
method. If the value is more than 30, the
human eye cannot distinguish between the
cover image before and after the embedding
process [22]. The PSNR value of the cover
image was calculated before and after the
embedding process as shown in Table 1. The
PSNR value of the secret image was compared
with the retrieved image at the receiving point
as shown in Table 2.
Also, an important factor in measuring the
efficiency of steganography methods is the
time of embedding and extracting process.
The time of embedding and retrieving different
images, different sizes, and different key
lengths was measured as shown in Table 3.
ARTÍCULO

330
 REVISTA AUS 26-2 / Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel et al.,/ DOI:10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40/ www.ausrevista.com/ editor@ausrevista.com

Table 3: Time Values of Embedding and International Journal of Information

Extracting Processes Research and Review, 03 (2016), pp.
2238–2241.
[8] Rola I. Al-Khalid, Randa A. Al-Dallah,
Aseel M. Al-Anani, Raghad M. Barham,
and Salam I. Hajir, "A Secure Visual
Cryptography Scheme Using Private Key
with Invariant Share Sizes," Journal of
Software Engineering and Applications
10 (2017), pp. 1–10.
[9] Prema, G. and Natarajan, S., 2013,
February. Steganography using Genetic
Algorithm along with Visual
Cryptography for wireless network
application. In 2013 International
Conference on Information
References Communication and Embedded Systems
[1] Ogudo, K.A.; Muwawa Jean Nestor, D.; (ICICES) (pp. 727-730).
Ibrahim Khalaf, O.; Daei Kasmaei, H. A [10] IEEE.S. M. Poonkuzhali and M.
Device Performance and Data Analytics Therasa, "Data Hiding Using Visual
Concept for Smartphones’ IoT Services Cryptography for Secure Transmission,"
and Machine-Type Communication in International Journal of Advanced
Cellular Networks. Symmetry 2019, 11, Research in Computer and
593. Communication Engineering 4 (2015),
[2] G. Abboud, J. Marean, and Roman V. pp. 440–441.
Yampolskiy, "Steganography and Visual [11] Abdelmgeid A. Ali and Al-Hussien S.
Cryptography in Computer Forensics," Saad, "Enhancing SMM Image
IEEE Computer Society (2010), pp. 25– Steganography Method by using
32. LSBraille Image Steganography Method
[3] M. Adriana, E. Ioan Slusanschi, and R. (SMMWB; Secret Message Matching with
Dobre, "Data Hiding Using Braille)," International Journal of
Steganography," IEEE 12th International Computer Applications 70 (2013), pp.
Symposium on Parallel and Distributed 12–17.
Computing (ISPDC) (2013). [12] G. Ateniese, C. Blundo, A. De Santis,
[4] M. Naor and A. Shamir, "Visual and D. R. Stinson, "Constructions and
Cryptography," Springer Link De Santis Bounds for Visual Cryptography,"
A. (eds) Advances in Cryptology — International Colloquium on Automata,
EUROCRYPT'94 950 (1995), pp. 1–12. Languages, and Programming ICALP
[5] Zhou, X., Gong, W., Fu, W. and Jin, L., 1099 (1996), pp. 416-428.
2016, June. An improved method for [13] Zhou, X., Gong, W., Fu, W. and Jin, L.,
LSB based color image steganography 2016, June. An improved method for
combined with cryptography. In 2016 LSB based color image steganography
IEEE/ACIS 15th International combined with cryptography. In 2016
Conference on Computer and IEEE/ACIS 15th International
Information Science (ICIS) (pp. 1-4). Conference on Computer and
IEEE. Information Science (ICIS) (pp. 1-4).
[6] Ching-Nung Yang and Chi-Sung Laith, IEEE.
"New Colored Visual Secret Sharing [14] Avinash K. Gulve and Madhuri S. Joshi,
Schemes," An International Journal of "A High Capacity Secured Image
Designs, Codes and Cryptography 20 Steganography Method with Five Pixel
(2000), pp. 325–336. Pair Differencing and LSB Substitution,"
[7] K. Das, A. Sen, and Samir K. International Journal Image, Graphics
ARTÍCULO

Bandyopadhyay, "A New Visual and Signal Processing, 5 (2015), pp.

Cryptography Scheme For Color Image 66- 74.
Using Sliding Puzzle Technique," [15] Mohamed M. Fouad, "Enhancing the
331 Imperceptibility of Image
Steganography for Information Hiding,"
IEEE 11(2017) pp. 545-548.
 REVISTA AUS 26-2 / Yaseen Hikmat Ismaiel et al.,/ DOI:10.4206/aus.2019.n26.2.40/ www.ausrevista.com/ editor@ausrevista.com

[16] Chang-Chou Lin, Wen-Hsiang Tsai,

"Secret image sharing with
steganography and authentication," the
Journal of Systems and Software 73
(2004) pp. 405-414.
[17] Gokul. M, Umeshbabu R, Shriram
K.Vasudevan, and D. Karthik, "Hybrid
Steganography using Visual
Cryptography and LSB Encryption
Method," International Journal of
Computer Applications 59 (2012) pp. 5–
8.
[18] S. Sekra, S. Balpande, and K. Mulani,
"Steganography Using Genetic
Encryption Along With Visual
Cryptography," SSRG International
Journal of Computer Science and
Engineering (SSRG-IJCSE) 2 (2015) pp.
5–9.
[19] Prema, G. and Natarajan, S., 2013,
February. Steganography using Genetic
Algorithm along with Visual
Cryptography for wireless network
application. In 2013 International
Conference on Information
Communication and Embedded Systems
(ICICES) (pp. 727-730). IEEE.
[20] A. Amin Ali and Al-Hussien Seddik Saad,
"Enhancing SMM Image Steganography
Method by using LSBraille Image
Steganography Method (SMMWB; Secret
Message Matching With Braille),"
International Journal of Computer
Applications 8 (2013).
[21] Zhou, X., Gong, W., Fu, W. and Jin, L.,
2016, June. An improved method for
LSB based color image steganography
combined with cryptography. In 2016
IEEE/ACIS 15th International
Conference on Computer and
Information Science (ICIS) (pp. 1-4).
IEEE.
[22] S. Saraireh, "A Secure Data
Communication System Using
Cryptography And Steganography,"
International Journal of Computer
Networks & Communications IJCNC 5
(2013) pp. 125–137.
ARTÍCULO

View publication stats 332