An Enhanced Mechanism for Image Steganography Using Sequential Colour Cycle Algorithm

Lip Yee Por, Delina Beh, Tan Fong Ang, and Sim Ying Ong
1Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, Malaysia
2Malaysian Institute of Information Technology, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

Abstract: Several problems arise among the existing LSB-based image steganographic schemes due to distortion in a stego-image and limited payload capacity. Thus, a proposed scheme has been developed with the aims to help in improving the payload of the secret data at the same time retaining the quality of the stego-image produced within an acceptance threshold. This study has led to the modification of the current LSB substitution algorithm by delivering a new algorithm namely sequential colour cycle. For achieving a higher security, multi-layered steganography can be performed by embedding a secret data into multiple layers of cover-images. The performance evaluation has been tested and proven that the improvement of embedding ratio at 1:2 for the proposed algorithm can be achieved and the value of the image quality is not falling below the threshold of distortion.

Keywords: Image steganography, steganography, least significant bit, data hiding, information hiding.

 

Received August 18, 2010; accepted October 24, 2010

  

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