An Improved 4-Dimension Pixel Selection Method to Enhance Capacity in Image Steganography

Abstract

The use of social media and the internet has been rising and a lot of data is being exchanged as well. Vulnerability increases with the amount of data shared. It is essential and required that shared data be secure and private. Techniques like watermarking and cryptography are employed to ensure security. However, the ciphertext's accessibility instantly raises suspicions and attracts the attention of malicious people. This brings us to yet another technique steganography. The primary goal of steganography is to conceal the existence of secret communication rather than the content of it. Image steganography, which helps protect sensitive information, is similar to concealing secret messages in common photos. As a way to improve data concealment within images, an improved method for image steganography is introduced in this study. There are limits to how much data can be hidden using conventional methods like LSB substitution without sacrificing image quality. A 4-directional pixel selection method is proposed as a solution, methodically embedding data outward from the image center. By incorporating encryption more specifically, the RSA cryptosystem the technique improves data security. As experimental evaluations with Lena, Lake, and pepper images show, the suggested technique is developed by discretely embedding important data while preserving image quality. With its foundation for safely hiding significant amounts of data inside images, this technique offers a potential development in image steganography. Analysis has been used to measure the quality, and the value of the quality assessment matrices has produced improved results and retains a maximum of 1256 bytes of hidden data.