Hiding image into another meaningful images using Richardson-Lucy algorithm with data authentication

Abstract

Image steganography is a technique of embedding sensitive information in images. In literature, research articles proposed different image steganography schemes on cover images based on different algorithms. Withal, stego images have less quality in HVS and lower performance. Another topic in image steganography is the quality of extracted data in receiver side that can be affected by transmission channel options or even by the attacks on stego images in transmission channel. In this paper discrete cosine transform (DCT) function and Motion Blur (based on Richardson-Lucy algorithm) is used for secret image transformation and secured hash file of the transformed image generated with RSA cryptosystem therewith. The randomness property of the resultant image reduces the possibility of its detection by HVS and steganalysis techniques. Image data embedding applied with LSBMR substitution algorithm into another significant image. Image deconvolution addressed in recent articles that used different methods such as edge extractions, Richardson-Lucy algorithm, Regularized filters and etc. We apply the Richardson-Lucy deconvolution basics in final secret image extraction to remove the noise. Several experiments and comparative studies are further presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in terms of performance, stego image quality and secret images quality maintenance.