2692-4048ISSN (Online)
2770-0070ISSN (Print)
Volume 21 , Issue 1 , PP: 245-264, 2026 | Cite this article as | XML | Html | PDF | Full Length Article
Israa Abdulkadhim Jabbar Al Ali 1 , Zainab A. Abdulazeez 2 * , Rawaa.M.aljubouri 3
Doi: https://doi.org/10.54216/FPA.210118
In this work, the researchers presented an ingenious new way to conceal secret messages within images, a practice called steganography. This technique embedded secret messages within images undetectably. To embed the secret data, it applies a mathematical trick called Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) that is commonly used to compress image files to hide the secret data in areas of the image that are not too complex or too simple. The algorithm adaptively selected embedding locations based on image texture to the appearance of the image, choosing the most appropriate places to hide the secret and the picture to appear normal. This new method of hiding data is more magical and less detectable than older methods, which modify the smallest details of an image (so-called Least Significant Bit techniques). It examines the patterns of the image such as whether it is smooth or has many details and selects obscure, secure locations to conceal the message. They tried this with 1,000 images, and in each image, they embedded a small message (a paragraph of text). The pictures came out great afterwards with just minor adjustments that most people would not have noticed. 95% of the buried messages could be dragged out flawlessly even after the images had been reduced in size with the JPEG. An artificial intelligence-based high-tech detection tool only detected the hidden data half the time 52%, a significant improvement over the older techniques where it located 85 percent or 65% of the secrets.
Steganography , Discrete Cosine Transform , Mid-Frequency Embedding , Texture-Adaptive Algorithm , JPEG Robustness , Steganalysis Resistance , Secure Communication
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