Image

Image Steganography is a method of hiding confidential data within digital images to enable covert communication. It involves embedding secret information into the pixel values of the image without causing noticeable changes in its appearance.

Methods of Image Steganography

Various techniques are used in image steganography to conceal data within images:

• Least Significant Bit (LSB) Insertion: In LSB steganography, the least significant bits of the image pixels are replaced with the secret data. As these bits contribute the least to the overall color or intensity of the pixel, the change remains visually undetectable.
• Pixel Value Differencing (PVD): PVD steganography modifies the difference between consecutive pixel values to encode the hidden data. The differences are altered in such a way that they can be decoded to retrieve the concealed information.
• Spread Spectrum Techniques: These methods distribute the hidden data across multiple image pixels, making it difficult for an observer to detect any anomalies in individual pixels.

Applications of Image Steganography

Image Steganography finds applications in various scenarios:

• Secure Communication: It enables secret communication by embedding messages or information within images, which can be shared without drawing attention.
• Digital Watermarking: Image steganography can be used to embed watermarks into images for copyright protection or ownership verification.
• Data Hiding: Sensitive information can be hidden within images to prevent unauthorized access.

Challenges

Image Steganography faces certain challenges:

• Capacity: The amount of data that can be concealed within an image is limited by the image size and chosen steganography technique.
• Robustness: The hidden data should withstand image processing, compression, and other transformations without being corrupted or lost.
• Detection: Steganalysis techniques aim to detect the presence of hidden data, necessitating the use of robust and undetectable methods.