Ensuring Security of Data Through Transformation Based Encryption Algorithm in Image Steganography

Image steganography is still relevant in today’s technological era as it provides a way to hide data within the picture frame in a manner that is difficult to detect. This method of hiding data can be used for various purposes, including secure communication, protection of intellectual property, and covert communication. Image steganography has evolved significantly since its inception. In the early days, simple strategies like LSB (least significant bit) substitution were often used to conceal information inside images. However, these methods were easily detectable by steganalysis techniques and provided limited data-hiding capacity. The effectiveness of transformation-based encryption algorithms used for image steganography varies depending on the specific algorithm and implementation. These algorithms are generally considered to be effective in hiding data within an image because they provide good embedding capacity and can resist typical steganalysis techniques. Additionally, they can also be combined with other steganography techniques to provide even more security. In this paper, we have implemented LSB (Least Significant Bit) based Discrete Wavelet Transform steganography on a standard image which resulted in PSNR equivalent to 48.65893 and MSE value of 0.885498 which indicates that the image has relatively low distortion, and the steganography process has been successful in concealing the hidden information without significantly degrading the overall visual quality of the media.