Implementing Reversible and Lossless Data Hiding Within Encrypted Images

Abstract

In the realm of data protection, cryptography and steganography stand out as effective methods. Cryptography involves securing data through encryption and decryption processes, while steganography focuses on concealing data within other data. Combining these methodologies creates a strong approach for concealing data within encrypted images, enhancing overall security. Chaotic cryptography has gained prominence due to its effectiveness in encrypting and decrypting images. To reduce the compatibility challenges between certain data hiding techniques and chaotic cryptography, two types of process is devised and put into practice. The first method involves interpolation technique and Least Significant Bit (LSB) data hiding within the chaotic encryption framework. The interpolation technique enhances the compatibility of information insertion within encrypted images. LSB data hiding involves replacing LSB bits of pixels with the secret data. In the second method, a prediction error technique is done along with chaotic encryption. In this, significant effectiveness in securely hiding data within encrypted images is achieved. Chaotic encryption is integrated into both methods to guarantee the confidentiality and protection of the embedded data. In each method, the concealed data is seamlessly embedded within the encrypted image, and upon reception, the information can be accurately extracted. A comparative analysis is conducted based on various parameters, including Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity (SSIM), computation time, and embedding rate © 2024 IEEE.