Crypto-Steganography for secure

message transmission through

Images and Audio Files
Sangita Lade1, Pardeshi Palak Abhay2,
Lambture Suvarnalaxmi Prakash3, Kotangle Mallaika Arun4,
Pagare Aniket Arun5
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Department of Computer Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology,
Pune, Maharashtra, India.
1 sangita.lade@vit.edu
2 palak.pardeshi22@vit.edu
3 suvarnalaxmi.lambture22@vit.edu
4 mallaika.kotangle22@vit.edu
5 aniket.pagare22@vit.edu

Abstract— In today's world where keeping digital data safe is key, together with the steganographic techniques of hiding
combining cryptography and steganography gives a strong way to multimedia files, particularly images and audio. Advanced
protect sensitive info. This study shows the creation of a secure Encryption Standard (AES) is used in the system in order to
system that lets users hide private data in images and audio files. It
encrypt user data so that even if the hidden data is somehow
uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to encrypt and
found then they are virtually meaningless without the
applies clever steganographic methods like Least Significant Bit
(LSB) Reversible LSB (RLSB), and phase coding. This makes sure decryption key. Then the data is inserted into the selected
the hidden info stays safe and hard to spot. The team built the media using multiple steganography methods namely LSB and
system with Python and its flexible libraries giving users an easy- RLSB for images and phase coding for audio.
to-use interface to embed and get encrypted messages without
hassle. Thorough tests show the system works well to hide lots of These objectives can be summarized on the basis of their
data, keep media quality intact, and stand up to steganalysis attacks. implication in a broad range of fields such as secure
This work adds to the field of data security by offering a trusty tool communication, digital watermarking, and secure storage of
to hide info, which can help in many areas that need better privacy sensitive data. Thus addressing essential issues in data security
protection.
and even Camouflage giving the proposed system the much-
needed applicability by individuals and organizations.
Keywords— Crypto-Steganography, Data Security, AES, LSB,
RLSB, Phase Coding, Multimedia, Encryption, Steganalysis,
Python. II. RELATED WORK

I. INTRODUCTION ‘Proposed System for Data Hiding Using

Cryptography and Steganography’ by Dipti Kapoor Sarmah
In today's digital scene, the spread of data sending and and Neha Bajpai explains a novel method of organizing
storing has made it more important to have strong security to cryptographic and steganographic practices for enhanced
keep private information safe from unwanted access and leaks. safety of information. By using the AES algorithm for
Regular code-making methods work well to scramble data, but encrypting messages with DCT-based steganography, the
they don't hide that the scrambled information exists. This is system conceals the part of the encrypted message in the
where steganography comes in—it's the trick of hiding data image’s frequency domain and creates two other secret keys
inside other normal-looking stuff. By combining code-making from the other portion. This multiple-layered approach adds
with steganography, you can not only lock up the data but also to the security because it becomes almost impossible for an
make it hard to spot that it's even there, which adds another intruder to retrieve or gain meaning from the concealed data
level of protection. if he or she does not hold all the necessary keys thus adding
to the already existing security of confidentiality and
This research concerns designing a secure format for hiding integrity. [1]
relevant information using Sect-256 encryption format
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 ‘A Combined Approach of Steganography and To Support this the authors conduct simulation and then real-
Cryptography Techniques for Information Security: In the world experiments to showcase that the introduced system
article titled ‘A Survey’ by Priyanka Haridas and Gouri offers secure encryption in the system by undergoing,
Shankar Prajapati presents the research on the suggestion for statistical and NIST tests among others. [4]
a wider survey of the integration of cryptography and
steganography to provide a boost to information security. ‘A New Technique for Steganography: Steganography
The paper identifies different ways of protecting data by Mapping Files in GIF Images,’ is a study done by Rinaldi
through cryptography where information is encoded to make Munir on the subject of improving the existing steganography
it inaccessible to unauthorized people, and steganography algorithm called EzStego in order to hide secret messages in
where a message’s presence is concealed in multimedia animated GIF images called ‘Application of The Modified
objects. It revisits the most current developments in image EzStego Algorithm for Hiding Secret Messages in The
steganography approaches, LSB and other transformation Animated GIF Images.’ The improvement in the existing
methods. The authors explain why these techniques need to EzStego algorithm is made by spreading the message bits
be used together to present reliable security measures and the amongst different frames of an animated GIF instead of within
lack of them The authors simply state that one technique is just one image. Encryption is done where it employs the usage
not sufficient enough to protect the data from unauthorized of the chaos theory to produce random bits for the purpose of
access or steganalysis and present their improvements on encryption prior to the actual embedding process. Of course,
unification of the techniques. [2] this modification has one particular goal, which is to enhance
the security and capacity of the steganographic process.
‘Data Security with Combination of Cryptography Experimental outcomes reveal that the proposed algorithm has
and Audio Steganography’ by Kapil Kapoor put forward an a small perceptual interference and a high quality of the stego-
innovative approach wherein cryptography is implemented images in terms of PSNR values, which supports the
combined with audio steganography to increase the level of hypothesis that message embedding does not reduce the
security in networks. The paper integrates both cryptography quality of the images. This proposed scheme achieves the goal
and audio steganography with particular respect to the echo of hiding messages in animated GIFs security and efficiency
hiding method to realize the process of hiding text data in and the extraction of the original messages from the stego-
audio files. The proposed model uses cryptographic images. [5]
encryption to introduce one extra layer of security measures
to increase the level of security it has against intruders. The IV. METHODOLOGY
study assesses the approach using measures such as PSNR,
MSE and SNR so as to check for distortion and data integrity Our approach hinges on the following key
as much as possible. Here the proposed model incorporates methodologies and algorithms:
the merits of both LWT and DCT for achieving better
compression as well as efficient embedding is free from a Cryptography:
few drawbacks of earlier techniques and provides ample
security towards the data. [3] Symmetric Encryption (AES): We employed the
well-known Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) which is
In the paper titled ‘Novel Design of Cryptosystems a symmetric key encryption technique. AES is widely used
for Video/Audio Streaming via Dynamic Synchronized due to its speed and durability, making it suitable for
Chaos-Based Random Keys’ by Chih-Hsueh Lin, Guo-Hsin encrypting classified information. Normal text is converted
Hu, Jie-Sheng Chen, Jun-Juh Yan, and Kuang-Hui Tang, the to cipher text through encryption and is now prepared for
authors describe a novel cryptography system oriented to the further marshalling with media files. [6]
improvement of video and audio streaming networks’
security. In this system, a synchrotron controller is employed Steganography:
for master and slave chaotic systems and synchronized
Image Steganography (LSB + RLSB): In the case of
chaotic random numbers at the transmitter and receiver end.
image files, we embedded a watermarking key by using the
These numbers are then added to Sha3-256 to get
Least Significant Bit (LSB) technique integrated with the
synchronised dynamic key generators (SDKG). The
Random Least Significant Bit (RLSB) technique. This
developed streaming data is in ciphertext format and then
approach embeds the encrypted data in the pixel intensity of
again passed through AES CFB encryption and sent through
the image, so that, no one can notice that there is a hidden
a public network. Upon receipt, the dynamic keys make it
message in the image. Another layer of security is added to
possible to decrypt them in order to get the actual content.
the system by the random ordering that is provided by the
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 RLSB to make the position of data also unpredictable. [7] V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Audio Steganography (Phase Coding): Effective Encryption:

In the audio files, we used the Phase Coding method AES implemented a high level of encryption and it
that encodes the data in the phase spectrum of the actual audio rendered the embedded data safe from any other parties to
signal. This technique is used when it is necessary to prevent access them.
the information from being intercepted.
Seamless Embedding:
Hybrid Steganography:
The combination of steganographic methods enabled the
Divide Cipher Text: We divide the encrypted data in smooth hiding of encrypted information. The media files kept
two regions and combine this with the image file. This their original quality, showing no obvious loss or distortion,
division provides the additional layer of security that requires which is important for real-world use.
a potential attacker to overcome to gain access to the hidden
information. [8] Accurate Retrieval:

Output Generation: Then the system forms a new The process of getting the information back was very
image file comprised of both parts of the encrypted data and precise, effectively taking out and unlocking the hidden data
also the decoded audio file. The originality of the stored from the media files. This precision is crucial for making sure
media files remains highly unaltered. that the original details can be completely brought back without
mistakes.
Retrieval and Decryption:
Performance Metrics:
LSB and RLSB Extraction: In the case of images, the
retrieval process include applying LSB extraction to obtain The system performed well in how fast it processed data
the first part of the hidden data, and RLSB extraction to and used its resources. The way it encrypted and embedded
obtain the second part of the hidden data. Two steps of information made sure the system could manage large
extraction are done to ensure that the information embedded amounts of data without much slowdown.
will still be retrievable. [9]
User Experience:
Phase Coding for Audio: The hidden data in audio
files is extracted with the help of Phase Coding extraction User feedback showed that people had a good time using
where the phase spectrum of the file is decoded. the system because it was easy to understand and simple to
operate. The design of the user interface was meant to make it
Decryption: easy for people to put in and get out information, even if they
don't know a lot about technology.
The extracted cipher text is merged and then
decrypted through the AES algorithm to bring back the VI. FUTURE WORK
original data. It then can store the produced results to
enhance integrity in the way the data is recalled. [10] The Crypto-Steganography system has been shown to
work well, but there are some parts that could be made better
in the future to increase what it can do and make it useful in
more situations:

Machine Learning Integration:

Using machine learning techniques can help the system

avoid being caught by tricky methods. By teaching models
about different ways to find hidden messages, the system can
change how it hides information to stay hidden, even from
advanced detection tools.
Fig 1: System Architecture
Exploring Blockchain and IoT Applications:
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 The ideas behind keeping data safe when it's hidden can be Approach of Steganography and Cryptography Techniques for
used in new areas like blockchain and the Internet of Things Information Security: A Survey, International Journal of
(IoT) security. For example, hiding important information Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), Vol. 4 Issue 12,
December 2015.
inside blockchain transactions or messages from IoT devices
can add an extra layer of protection, making these systems
[3] Kapil Kapoor, Data Security with combination of Cryptography
better at resisting attacks. and Audio Steganography, Nation College of Ireland, March 2020.

Real-World Implementation: [4] Chih-Hsueh Lin, Guo-Hsin Hu, Jie-Sheng Chen, Jun-Juh Yan &
Kuang-Hui Tang, Novel design of cryptosystems for video/audio
Working with companies to use the system in actual streaming via dynamic synchronized chaos-based random
situations might help us learn how useful it really is. Making keys. Multimedia Systems 28, 1793–1808, October 2022.
changes to the system so it fits well with areas like
cybersecurity, media, and telecommunications can keep it [5] Rinaldi Munir, Application of The Modified EzStego Algorithm
useful as technology keeps changing. for Hiding Secret Messages in The Animated GIF Images, 2nd
International Conference on Science in Information Technology
(ICSITech), July 2016.
Continuous Adaptation:
[6] Md. Khalid Imam Rahmani, Kamiya Arora, Naina Pal, A
As cyber threats keep changing, the system needs to be
Crypto-Steganography: A Survey, International Journal of
updated regularly to handle new weaknesses and use the most Advanced Computer Science and Applications (IJACSA), Vol. 5,
recent improvements in encryption and hiding information. No. 7, July 2014.
Continuous research and development work will be important
for keeping the system effective over time. [7] Piyush Marwaha, Paresh Marwaha, Visual cryptographic
steganography in images, Second International Conference on
VII. CONCLUSION Computing, Communication and Networking Technologies,
September 2010.
The Crypto-Steganography project effectively merged
sophisticated encryption methods with cutting-edge hiding [8] Mustafa Sabah Taha, Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim, Sameer
Abdulsattar Lafta, Mohammed Mahdi Hashim, and Hassanain
techniques to develop a way to hide information inside image
Mahdi Alzuabidi, Combination of Steganography and
and audio files. This system found the right mix of being secure,
Cryptography: A Short Survey, IOP Conference Series: Materials
easy to use, and hard to notice, which makes it a good choice Science and Engineering, August 2019.
for safeguarding vital data in different uses.
[9] Khalil Challita, Hikmat Farhat, Combining Steganography and
Using a combination of steganography methods made sure Cryptography: New Directions, International Journal on New
that the hidden information stayed secret and safe. The AES Computer Architectures and Their Applications (IJNCAA), July
encryption added a strong shield to prevent anyone from getting 2011.
into it without permission. The system's skill in keeping the
media files' quality high while correctly finding and unlocking [10] Kallam Ravindra Babu, Dr S. Udaya Kumar, Dr A. Vinaya
Babu, A Survey on Cryptography and Steganography Methods for
the hidden data shows it could be useful in everyday situations.
Information Security, International Journal of Computer
Applications, Volume 12, Issue 2, November 2010.
Going ahead, combining machine learning, discovering new
uses, and working with business partners will be important for
increasing the system's usefulness and making sure it stays
important as new cybersecurity problems come up. The Crypto-
Steganography project is a big move towards making data
security and privacy better in a world that's becoming more
digital.

VIII. REFERENCES

[1] Dipti Kapoor Sarmah, Neha Bajpai, Proposed System for data
hiding using Cryptography and Steganography, International
Journal of Computer Applications, Vol. 8 Issue 9, October 2010.

[2] Priyanka Haridas, Gouri Shankar Prajapati, A Combined

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