Abstract

Image steganography, the practice of concealing confidential information within digital images, plays a crucial role in maintaining data security and privacy. However, existing methodologies often face challenges related to encryption strength, preservation of image fidelity, and user accessibility. The proposed system introduces a groundbreaking solution: a sophisticated steganography tool developed using PyQt5, which seamlessly integrates cutting-edge AES encryption with Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) embedding techniques. By leveraging the robust encryption capabilities of AES, the tool ensures that the hidden information remains safeguarded against unauthorized access, guaranteeing data confidentiality. Concurrently, the DCT embedding enables the seamless embedding of encrypted data within the cover image, preserving its visual integrity and rendering the concealed information imperceptible to visual inspection. Moreover, the intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) enhances user experience, offering a user-friendly environment for effortless interaction and seamless integration into existing workflows. Through experimental validation and comparative analysis, the proposed solution demonstrates superior performance in terms of security, robustness, and usability when compared to conventional steganographic methods, positioning itself as a leading choice for individuals and organizations seeking to safeguard their sensitive information through secure image steganography techniques.