Security Improvisation in Image Steganography using DES

The incredible evolution of Internet technologies & its applications require high level the security of data over the communication channel. Image steganography is a digital technique for concealing information into a cover image. Least Significant-Bit (LSB) based approach is most popular steganographic technique in spatial domain due to its simplicity and hiding capacity. All of existing methods of steganography focus on the embedding strategy with less consideration to the pre-processing, such as encryption of secrete image. The conventional algorithm does not provide the preprocessing required in image based steganography for better security, as they do not offer flexibility, robustness and high level of security. The proposed work presents a unique technique for Image steganography based on the Data Encryption Standard (DES) using the strength of S-Box mapping & Secrete key. The preprocessing of secrete image is carried by embedding function of the steganography algorithm using two unique S-boxes. The preprocessing provide high level of security as extraction is not possible without the knowledge of mapping rules and secrete key of the function. Additionally the proposed scheme is capable of not just scrambling data but it also changes the intensity of the pixels which contributes to the safety of the encryption.