Comparative Analysis of Fiber Optical Network Security Using Optical Steganography and Encryption Method

The development of communication technology is currently progressing at an extremely rapid pace. One of the most widely applied technologies for data transmission is fiber optic communication, which uses light as the transmission medium. This technology enables data to be transmitted at very high speeds. However, in the process of data transmission, a security mechanism is required to protect information from unauthorized access. Attacks on fiber optic networks can lead to significant alterations in the data received compared to the data sent by the transmitter. This poses a serious risk, particularly when the transmitted data is confidential. Two methods that can be employed to secure fiber optic networks are Optical Steganography and Optical Encryption. The working principle of Optical Steganography involves hiding signals in public channels, while Optical Encryption functions by encrypting the transmitted signals. Both methods can be implemented using OptiSystem software. According to the results of this study, Optical Encryption demonstrates a higher level of reliability compared to Optical Steganography. Optical Encryption achieved a Q-Factor value of 14.65 and a BER of 6.55×10<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">−49</sup>. In terms of Q-Factor, Optical Encryption is shown to be 16.3% more effective than Optical Steganography and 90.4% more efficient compared to designs without a security system.