Efficient Data Security Using Differential Expansion & Metamorphic Cryptography

With the advancement in information technology confidential data security and privacy in data transmission have long been a top priority because of the increase in cybercrime. A number of cryptographic and steganography methods were put up to resolve the issues. Reversible data hiding, due to its versatility and ability to be used in a variety of settings, is a great strategy for protecting sensitive information. However, it can handle only little payloads with good quality image carrying data.This paper introduces a novel spatial image steganography scheme that combines Differential Expansion (DE) and RC4 cryptography to significantly improve data security. The methodology involves embedding sensitive information into the difference values of pixel pairs using DE, followed by RC4 encryption to ensure robust data protection. Our approach leverages the strengths of DE for high-capacity data embedding and the robust encryption capabilities of RC4 to protect against unauthorized access and tampering.To evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed method, we conducted extensive experiments using a variety of image datasets. The results demonstrate that our method achieves significant improvements in payload capacity, security, and image quality compared to traditional techniques. Specifically, our method outperforms existing methods such as LSB, Hamming code, and GAN-based approaches in key metrics including Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Mean Square Error (MSE), and Structural Similarity Index Metric (SSIM). These metrics indicate that our method maintains high image quality while providing enhanced data security.