Dual-Level Security based Cyclic18 Steganographic Method and its Application for Secure Transmission of Keyframes...

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Information Security
• Image Processing

Background:

• Secure transmission of sensitive data over public networks like the Internet is a significant challenge.
• Existing data hiding methods may lack sufficient security or compromise image quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel data hiding method in encrypted images with dual-level security for enhanced data protection.
• To improve the security and visual transparency of embedded data in images.

Main Methods:

• Secret information is divided into three blocks and encrypted using a three-level encryption algorithm (TLEA).
• The cover image is scrambled, and encrypted data blocks are embedded using a cyclic18 least significant bit (LSB) substitution method.
• The cover image planes are rotated using a secret key to further deceive potential attackers.

Main Results:

• The proposed method achieves advanced security through message block division, TLEA, image scrambling, and cyclic18 LSB substitution.
• The system maintains high visual transparency of the resultant steganographic images.
• Experimental results demonstrate superior security and visual quality compared to existing state-of-the-art methods.

Conclusions:

• The novel data hiding framework offers a robust solution for secure data transmission over the Internet.
• The method is feasible for transmitting critical diagnostic keyframes in applications like wireless capsule endoscopy for healthcare.
• The multi-layered security approach, including multiple secret keys, significantly deters unauthorized data recovery.