Lightweight and Optimized Multi-Layer Data Hiding using Video Steganography Paper

The ever-escalating attacks on the internet network are due to rapid technological growth. In order to surmount such challenges, multi-layer security algorithms were developed by hybridizing cryptography and steganography techniques. Consequently, the overall memory size became enormous while hybridizing these techniques. On the other side, the least significant bit (LSB) and modified LSB replacing approaches could provide the variability as detected by steganalysis technique, most found to be susceptible to attack too due to numerous reasons. To overcome these issues, in this paper a lightweight and optimized data hiding algorithm is proposed which consume less memory, provide less variability, and robust against histogram attacks. The proposed steganography system was achieved in two stages. First, data was encrypted using lightweight BORON cipher that only consumed less memory as compared to conventional algorithm such as 3DES, AES. Second, the encrypted data was hidden in the complemented or non-complemented form to obtain minimal variability. The performance of the proposed technique was evaluated in terms of avalanche effect, visual quality, embedding capacity and peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR). The results revealed that the lightweight BORON cipher could produce approximate same avalanche effect as the AES algorithm produced. Furthermore, the value of PSNR had shown much improvement in comparison to optimization algorithm GA.