CONTENTS

Abstract i

List of Tables vii

List of Figures viii

List of Symbols xi

List of Abbreviations xiii

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1. Classification of Information Hiding Techniques 1

1.1.1. Cryptography 1

1.1.2. Watermark 2

1.1.3. Steganography 3

1.2. Classification of Steganography 4

1.2.1. Text Steganography 4

1.2.2. Image Steganography 4

1.2.3. Audio Steganography 4

1.2.4. Video Steganography 4

1.2.5. Protocol Steganography 4

1.3. Applications of Steganography 5

1.4. Motivation 5

1.5. Objectives of the Work 5

1.6. Contribution of the Work 6

1.7. Organization of the Thesis 8

2. LITERATURE REVIEW 10

3. METHODOLOGY 34

3.1. Adaptive Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm (AABC) and Optimum Pixel
35
Adjustment Algorithm (OPA) Based Image Steganography Method

3.1.1. Color Plane Separation and Integer Wavelet Transform 36

3.1.2. Adaptive Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Optimal Pixel Points 38

iv
 3.1.3. Embedding Phase 42

3.1.4. Image Quality Improvement by Optimal Pixel Adjustment 43

Algorithm (OPA)
3.1.5. Extraction Phase 44

3.1.6. Results and Discussion 45

3.2. Secure Medical Image Steganography Through Optimal Pixel Selection

by Elephant Herding-Monarch Butterfly (EH-MB) Pipelined 50
Optimization Technique
3.2.1. Image Steganography in Medical field 51

3.2.2. Cover Image 51

3.2.3. Multilevel Discrete Wavelet Transform (MDWT) 51

3.2.4. Elephant Herding Algorithm 53

3.2.5. Monarch Butterfly Optimization (MBO) 55

3.2.6. Results and Discussion 59

3.3. Integer Wavelet Transform-Gray Wolf Optimization(IWT-GWO) Based 70

Image Embedding Using Steganographic Signcryption Algorithm
3.3.1. Integer Wavelet Transform (IWT) 71

3.3.2. Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO) to Choose Optimal Pixel Points 72

(OPP)
3.3.3. Secret Image Encrypting Process of Signcryption 75

3.3.4. Process to Embed 76

3.3.5. Extracting Process 76

3.3.6. Results and Discussion 78

3.4. Encryption-Based Steganography of Images by Multi-objective Whale 85

Optimal Pixel Selection(MWO)
3.4.1. Conversion of RGB 86

3.4.2. Multi-Level DWT(MWT) Transformation 86

3.4.3. Selection of Optimal Pixel Points 87

3.4.4. Encryption of Secret Image 89

3.4.5. Embedding 91

3.4.6. Results and Discussion 91

3.5. A Robust Low Frequency Integer Wavelet Transform Based Fractal 98

Encryption Algorithm for Image Steganography
3.5.1. Integer Wavelet Transform Module 99

v
 3.5.2. Key Generation Module 100

3.5.3. Module of Fractal Encrypting Process 101

3.5.4. De-Steganography Module 103

3.5.5. Results and Discussion 104

4. Conclusion and Future Scope 109

References 111

Author’s Publications 124

vi
 List of Tables
Table Name of the Table Page
No Number
2.1 Tabular representation of literature Survey 24
3.1 Pseudocode for artificial bee colony algorithm 41
3.2 Optimal Pixel Adjustment Algorithm 44
3.3 Performance Analysis using Existing ABC based OPA 47
3.4 Performance Analysis using developed AABC based OPA 48
3.5 Pseudocode for hybrid EH-MBO algorithm 57

3.6 PSNR values obtained for developed (EH-MB) and Existing (EH and 63
MB) methods
3.7 MSE values obtained for developed (EH-MB) and Existing (EH and 63
MB) methods
3.8 NCC values obtained for developed (EH-MB) and Existing (EH and 64
MB) methods
3.9 AD values obtained for developed (EH-MB) and Existing (EH and 64
MB) methods
3.10 MD values obtained for developed (EH-MB) and Existing (EH and 64
MB) methods
3.11 AE values obtained for developed (EH-MB) and Existing (EH and 65
MB) methods
3.12 SC values obtained for developed (EH-MB) and Existing (EH and 65
MB) methods
3.13 Analysis of performance for images from medical database 65

3.14 Pseudocode of Signcryption algorithm 75

3.15 Pseudocode of Unsigncryption algorithm 77
3.16 Metrics of estimation and formula 80

3.17 PSNR, MSE and NCC values obtained for developed and existing 80
method
3.18 MD, NAE, SC, AD values obtained for developed GWO and existing 81
EH-MBO method
3.19 PSNR and MD values attained for the input database images on the 93
basis of developed WOA and existing GWO algorithm
3.20 MSE, NCC, AD, NAE and SC values attained for the input database 94
images on the basis of developed WOA and existing GWO algorithm
3.21 Performance evaluation of colour image 105
3.22 Performance evaluation of gray image 107

3.23 Performance Evaluation of developed method for different cover and 107
secret image size
3.24 Comparative analysis of existing and developed method 108

vii
 List of Figures

Figure Name of the Figure Page

No Number
1.1 Block diagram of cryptography 2
1.2 Block diagram of watermark image 2
1.3 Block diagram of Steganography 3
1.4 Block diagram of Image Steganography 6
1.5 (a) Cover images (b) Secret image 8
3.1 Flowchart of AABC algorithm 38
3.2 Flowchart of developed embedding procedure 43
3.3 Flowchart of developed extraction procedure 45
3.4 PSNR comparison plot for developed AABC and ABC 49
3.5 MSE comparison plot for developed AABC and ABC 49
3.6 BER comparison plot for developed AABC and ABC 49
3.7 NC comparison plot for developed AABC and ABC 50
3.8 NAE comparison plot for developed AABC and ABC 50
3.9 Design of developed HA (Hybrid Algorithm) for Medical images 51
3.10 2 level DWT implementation structure 53
3.11 Behaviour of Elephant Herding 54
3.12 (a) Cover Images. (b) Secret image for embedding 60
3.13 (a-e) Medical images for EH-MB method (f) Hidden image 61
3.14 PSNR value for the developed and existing methods 66
3.15 MSE for developed and existing technique 67
3.16 NCC value for the developed and existing methods 67
3.17 AD value for the developed and existing methods 68
3.18 Structural content value for the developed and existing methods 68
3.19 Value of MD for the developed and existing technique 69
3.20 NAE for developed and existing technique 70
3.21 Flowchart of developed method 71
3.22 Block diagram of GWO 73
3.23 Cover images 78

viii
3.24 GUI obtained for Steganographic images 79
3.25 Evaluation metrics (GUI) for developed GWO and EH-MB algorithms 79
3.26 (a). Plot of PSNR 81
3.26 (b). Plot of MSE 82

3.26 (c). Plot of NCC 82

3.27 (a). Plot of AD 83

3.27 (b). Plot of SC 83
3.27 (c). Plot of NAE 84
3.27 (d). Plot of MD 85
3.28 Block diagram of the developed work 86
3.29 Multilevel DWT transformation 87
3.30 Input database images and secret image 92
3.31 GUI attained for the developed method 92
3.32 Evaluation metrics values attained for the developed method 93
3.33 (a) Plot showing PSNR 94
3.33 (b) Plot showing MD 95

3.33 (c) Plot showing MSE 96

3.33 (d) Plot showing NCC 96

3.33 (e) Plot showing AD 97

3.33 (f) Plot showing NAE 97

3.33 (g) Plot showing SC 98

3.34 Flowchart of developed method 99
3.35 Fractal encryption stage 101
3.36 1st iteration of L shaped tromino 101
3.37 2nd iteration of L shaped tromino 102
3.38 De- steganography module of developed methodology 103
(a). Colour image of cover (b). Colour secret image (c). L-shaped
3.39 Tromino Image (d). Tromino encrypted image (e). IWT-image of 104
cover (f). Embedded image
Histogram diagram for colour images, (a). Image of cover (b).
3.40 Secret Image (c). Fractal encrypted image (d). Image of stego (e). 105
Fractally decrypted (f). Secret image decryption

ix
 (a) Gray image of cover (b) gray secret image (c) L-shaped tromino
3.41 image (d) Tromino encrypted image (e) IWT-cover image 106
(f) embedded image
Histogram diagram for gray images (a). Image of cover (b). Secret
3.42 image (c). Fractally encrypted image (d). Image of stego 106
(e). Fractally decrypted (f). Secret image decryption

x
 List of Symbols

l1, d -- Low frequency

h1, d -- High frequency

d -- Time
Ap ,q -- Approximation Coefficient

V p ,q -- Vertical Coefficient

H p ,q -- Horizontal Coefficient

D p ,q -- Diagonal Coefficient

M -- Image
n -- Pixel Points
𝑃𝑥 -- Pixel location
Pxy -- y th Pixel location

PxyE -- Novel solution in y th dimension

Pzy -- Bee next to Pxy in engaged circle

rand -- Number arbitrarily selected in the range of [-1, 1]

fitnessx -- Fitness value of x th employed bee food source

1 and  2 -- unsystematic variables

1 and 2 -- acceleration coefficients

pt -- Individual best pixel point selected at tth iteration

g at -- Global best pixel point selected at tth iteration.

PC -- Pixel value of host image

PS -- Pixel value of stego image

 -- Error between host and stego image

Ci -- Clan

x center , ci -- Centre of clan C i

xnew , ci , j -- New pixel

nci -- Number of pixels in clan C i

xi
x max -- Upper bound

xmin -- Lower bound

xworst,ci -- Worst pixel position in elephant herding

xrt 1, k -- Newly generated pixel position

t -- Current generation number of the pixel

r1 -- pixel is randomly selected from Subpopulation 1 in
Monarch butterfly algorithm
k -- Newly generated monarch butterfly
peri -- Migration Period
r2 -- pixel is randomly selected from Subpopulation 2 in
Monarch butterfly algorithm
 -- weighting factor
Bij -- edge of the pixel points in the ith row and jth column of
the cost matrix.
Eij -- entropy of the pixel points in the ith row and jth column
of the cost matrix.
Iij -- intensity respectively of the pixel points in the ith row
and jth column of the cost matrix.
Fij -- fitness function
Cij -- cost function
 
B and d -- coefficient vectors

Yp -- Position vector of the prey in gray wolf optimization

algorithm
r1 and r2 -- random vectors generated in gray wolf optimization
algorithm
𝑂𝑖 -- Original Image
𝑋 -- Height of the pixel
𝑌 -- Width of the pixel
𝑅𝐾 -- Encryption key used for Red color
𝐺𝐾 -- Encryption key used for Green color
𝐵𝐾 -- Encryption key used for Blue color
𝐻(𝑚) -- Entropy of message m

xii
 List of Abbreviations

DCT -- Discrete Cosine Transform

TCP -- Transmission Control protocol
IP -- Internet Protocol
PSNR -- Peak Signal to Noise Ratio
LSB -- Least Significant Bit
ATM -- Automated Teller Machine
MSE -- Mean Square Error
M -- Message
C -- Cover Image
S -- Stego Image
AABC -- Adaptive Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
OPA -- Optimum Pixel Adjustment Algorithm
BER -- Bit Error Rate
NCC -- Normalized Cross Correlation
NAE -- Normalized Absolute Error
EH- MB -- Elephant Herding-Monarch Butterfly
DWT -- Discrete Wavelet Transform
IWT -- Integer Wavelet Transform
GWO -- Gray Wolf Optimization
R -- Red
G -- Green
B -- Blue
HVS -- Human Visual System
Fuzzy-BPN -- Fuzzy Back Propagation Neural Network
SSIM -- Structural Similarity Index
PSO -- Particle Swarm Optimization
DCT-M3 -- Discrete Cosine Transform Modulus 3
GA -- Genetic Algorithm
RSA -- Rivest, Shamir, Adleman
JPEG -- Joint Photographic Experts Group
DWT-SVD -- Discrete Wavelet Transform- Singular value decomposition
CI -- Cohort Intelligence

xiii
CC -- Cognitive Computing
MRSLS -- Multi-random start local search algorithm
IATP -- Image Adaptive Triangular Partition
AES -- Advanced Encryption Standard
CAT -- computerized axial tomography
BCH -- Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem
MPV -- Mid Position Value
CRC -- Cyclic Redundancy Check
PNG -- Portable Network graphics
OAEP -- Optimal Asymmetric Encryption Padding
IDA -- Information Dispersal Algorithms
MSB -- Most Significant Bits
RS -- Reed-Solomon
PVO -- Pixel Value Ordering
NMF -- Nonnegative Matrix Factorization
RIWT -- Redundant Integer Wavelet Transform
LL -- Approximation Subband
LH -- Horizontal Subband
HL -- Vertical Subband
HH -- Diagonal Detail Subband
EHO -- Elephant Herding Optimization algorithm
MBO -- Monarch Butterfly Optimization algorithm
AD -- Average Difference
SC -- Structural Content
MD -- Maximum Difference
MWO -- Multiobjective Whale Optimization
WOA -- Whale Optimization Algorithm
DES -- Data Encryption Standard
NIST -- National Institute of Standards and Technology
GUI -- Graphical User Interface
FC -- Frequency Co-efficient
OPP -- Optimal Pixel Points
LSQu -- Least Significant Quantum
EH-MBO -- Elephant Herding –Monarch Butterfly Optimization

xiv
PMS -- Pantone Matching System
STC -- S-Tree Coding
LDA -- Linear discriminant analysis
OFDM -- Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
QR -- Quick Response
BMS -- Block Matching Stereo
RESBC -- reversible-enhanced stego block chaining
UERD -- uniform embedding revisited distortion
DRT -- Discrete Ripplet Transform
ECC -- Elliptic curve cryptography
TLEA -- Three-Level Encryption Algorithm
OCML -- One-Way Coupled-Map Lattices
RDH -- Reversible Data Hiding Method
LCPSS -- Local Correlation Pattern for Image Steganalysis
ELCPSS -- Extended Local Correlation Pattern for Image Steganalysis
CAD -- Computer-Aided Diagnosis
RIH -- Reversible Information Hiding

xv
 Steganography: Techniques, Analysis and
Applications

A Thesis Submitted to
VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Belagavi, Karnataka, INDIA
in partial fulfilment for the award of degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
In
Computer Science & Engineering
By

AMBIKA
(USN: 3PD15PEJ29)
Under the Guidance of

Guide: Co - Guide:

Dr. VISHWANATH BURKPALLI Dr. RAJKUMAR L BIRADAR

Professor, Department of Information Professor, Department of Electronics &
Science & Engineering Telematics,
P. D. A. College of Engineering Kalaburagi, G Narayanamma Institute of Technology &
Karnataka, INDIA Science, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500104,
INDIA

Department of Information Science & Engineering

P. D. A. College of Engineering Kalaburagi, Karnataka, INDIA
July - 2021
Dedicated to my beloved Father

Sri. Nagesh Umashetty

 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The dedication, insight, inspiration, affection and patience of many people around me
are the core ingredients of this contribution. This acknowledgement transcends the reality of
formality when I would like to express deep gratitude and respect to all inspired and helped me
for the completion of research work.
My heartfelt thanks to our president of prestigious The Sharnbasveshwar Vidya
Vardhak Sangha, Poojya Dr. Sharnbaswappa Appa, for providing kind support and
encouragement. ‘Thanks’ is really a small word for the incomparable facilities extended by the
esteemed Sharnbasveshwar Vidya Vardhak Sangha, Kalaburagi, who cared me with bread and
butter with their shed and shelter.
I owe an immense sense of gratitude to my guide, Dr. Vishwanath Burkpalli,
Professor in Information Science & Engineering Department, P D A C E, Kalaburagi, for his
tender hearted support, exceptional patience, commendable guidance and constant
encouragement throughout the work. I gained a lot from his meticulous knowledge and
experience during my entire research period.
I extend an immense sense of gratitude to my Co - guide, Dr. Rajkumar L Biradar,
Professor in Electronics & Telematics Department, G N I T S, Hyderabad, for his tender hearted
support, exceptional patience, commendable guidance and constant encouragement throughout
the work.
I want to express my deepest gratitude and countless thanks from my heart to my
beloved HOD Dr. Bharathi Harsoor for enhancing self-belief and helping me to come out of
a long standing problem.
Thanks would not be sufficient to goddess my mother Smt. Kamala for her
encouragement and support.
I express my deepest gratitude to my Grandpa Late Sri. Pampanna Mastar Nugadoni,
for his constant support and motivation.
I want to thank Dr. S. S. Hebbal Principal, for providing pleasant atmosphere and
inspiring research environment.
I sincerely thank the authorities, faculty and staff of P D A C E, Kalaburagi, for their co-
operation. I express my deepest gratitude to Information Science & Engineering Department
faculty members for providing continuous counselling and suggestions with immense care and
zeal throughout the work.
 Sincere thanks to my beloved Pro Vice - Chancellor, Dr. V. D. Mytri wholeheartedly,
who remains the constant source of inspiration for the researchers of our generation.
I am very much thankful and obliged to Registrar Dr. Anilkumar Bidve for his constant
support during the course of my research.
I want to express my deepest gratitude and countless thanks from my heart to my
beloved Registrar Evaluation Dr. Basavaraj Mathpathi for enhancing self-belief and helping
me to come out of a long standing problem.
I extend my gratitude to Dr. Laxmi Patil Maka for the unwavering cooperation and
motivation through my tough times.
I also would like to thank Prof. S A Madival, Chairman of C S E Dept, for the support
and cooperation. Also I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the technical & non –
technical staff of our Department, for their invaluable assistance during the course of my
research.
I appreciate my husband Dr. Virupakshappa, for being a constant source of help and
inspiration throughout my work and also for his approachability and availability whenever I
needed any assistance.
Heartfelt regards to family members, especially my sisters Smt. Ashwini Umashetty &
Ms. Archana Umashetty who were backbone with their inestimable support, encouragement
and co-operation throughout the course of the research work. My sincere thanks to my elder
brother’s Sri Jagdish Umashetty, Sri. Shankar Umashetty and younger brother
Sri. Laxmikanth Umashetty for their continuous support & encouragement.
I would not have got through a lot of difficult situations without the timely advice of
Dr. Nagabhushan Patil, Professor of EEE Department P D A C E, Kalaburagi. Special thanks
to sir.

I would like to thank my dearest friends Dr. Sachinkumar Veerashetty and

Mr. Sharanbasappa V H for their timely help during the course of this research.

I extend my gratitude to, Prof. Arun C M, Prof. Bheemaraya, Prof. Shivaprasad

Biradar, Sri Mabusaab for the unwavering cooperation and motivation through my tough
times.

AMBIKA