Minimal Block Knight's Tour and Edge with LSB Pixel Replacement Based Encrypted Image Steganography

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Information Security
• Cryptography

Background:

• Data security is crucial in the digital age, with cryptography and steganography as key solutions.
• Existing methods require enhancement for robust image security and data protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel algorithm for image encryption and steganography using the Knight's Tour Algorithm.
• To enhance data security and robustness in digital images.

Main Methods:

• Image encryption using a 5x5 Knight's Tour pattern for block shuffling.
• Embedding the encrypted image into a cover image to create a crypto-stego image.

Main Results:

• The proposed algorithm achieves high data security and robustness.
• The method demonstrates good Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) values.

Conclusions:

• The Knight's Tour Algorithm offers an effective approach for secure image encryption and steganography.
• The developed crypto-stego image technique provides a promising solution for protecting sensitive image data.