Description:FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
1. Title of the invention: “ Method for protecting data using Steganography”
2. Applicant:
NAME NATIONALITY ADDRESS
1. Marwadi University Indian MARWADI UNIVERSITY, Rajkot-Morbi Highway, At Gauridad, Rajkot – 360003, Gujarat, India
(M) 9879740982
shreedattalawconsultancy@gmail.com
Chothani18preeti@gmail.com

2. Dr. R. Sridaran Indian
3. Harris J. Barwu Liberian
4. Favour A. Onyiriuka Nigerian
5. Dr. Pankaj Mudholkar Indian
3. Preamble to the description
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the field of Computer Science and its applications. The present invention uses Steganography technique for embedding the encrypted message with the image and provides a secured platform for the users to transmit their messages securely.
Background of the Invention:
In today's world of digital communication, ensuring the security and privacy of information has become increasingly important. Information can be sensitive or confidential, and needs to be protected from unauthorized access, interception, or tampering. In order to achieve this, various techniques and methods have been developed, including encryption, decryption, hashing, and digital signatures.
In the context of securing the message, a Steganography technique is used for hiding messages or data within other messages or data, without revealing the existence of the hidden message. Steganography is often used in combination with encryption, providing an additional layer of security.
The present invention will allow users to encode and decode messages into and from images using Steganography techniques. This can be used in a variety of applications, including secure communication and data transfer, hiding sensitive information, and digital watermarking.
Object of the Invention:
The main objective of the present invention is to design and implement a stenographic system for digital images using the Python programming language.

Another objective of the present invention is to develop a robust and secure technique for embedding secret messages within an image that can withstand various attacks.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to design a method for retrieving and decoding the secret message from the stego-image without introducing errors or distortions.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to ensure that the stenographic system is efficient and has minimal impact on the visual quality of the image.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to evaluate the performance of the stenographic system in terms of security, capacity, and speed.

Summary of the Invention:

The present invention involves hiding secret data within an image in such a way that it is not visible to the naked eye. Steganography is a technique of hiding information within other non-secret data, in this case, an image. The goal is to create a tool that can be used to securely and covertly transfer information between parties. The system involves several steps which include; entering the message to be encrypted, entering the key, selecting an appropriate image file, encrypting the message with the key, encoding the message into the image using Steganography techniques, and extracting and decrypting the message from the image.

By keeping in mind, the security aspects while transmitting the messages on the Internet, the present invention is designed and developed a system for embedding and extracting secret messages within digital images. The present invention helps in evaluating different stenographic algorithms and select the most suitable one for implementation. The stenographic system is tested using various types and sizes of images, and with different message lengths and types. The performance of the stenographic system is analyzed in terms of security, capacity, and speed. The present invention provides a user-friendly interface for the program that allows users to input images and messages, and to view the steno-images and extracted messages.
Brief Description of drawings:
Figure 1 shows Architectural diagram of the present invention
Figure 2 shows Data Flow Diagram (DFD)
Figure 3 shows Case Diagram
Figure 4 shows Sequence Diagram
Figure 5 shows Activity Diagram

Detailed Description of the Invention:
The following description relates to a particular manifestation of the present invention. The present invention uses the concept of Steganography which helps in hiding messages behind the images. The present invention is developed to provide a secure method for encrypting and sending messages to the recipient on the Internet AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption and Steganography. The system facilitates the user to input a message and a key, which is encrypted using AES encryption and then hidden in an image selected by the user. The encrypted message could then be sent to the recipient through any channel like WhatsApp. The recipient could then decrypt the message using the same key and image.

The main embodiment of the present invention is developed to provide a secured platform for the users to transmit their messages securely. The system uses Steganography technique for embedding the encrypted message with the image. The basic steps that the system follows are -
1. Message encoding: The present invention allows users to encode a message into an image using Steganography techniques. The message is hidden within the image in a way that is not visible to the naked eye.
2. Image selection: The present invention allows users to select any image of their choice to use as the cover image for Steganography. The image can be in any common format such as JPEG, PNG, or BMP.
3. Message decoding: The present invention allows users to decode a hidden message from an image using Steganography techniques. The message can be decoded only with the appropriate key, ensuring security and privacy.

Another embodiment of the present invention is the said system implements a Least Significant Bit technique, where the secret message bits are stored in the least significant bit of each pixel color channel.

Another embodiment of the present invention is the said system provides a secure and robust means of transmitting confidential messages within digital images, which can be useful to covert communication, data hiding, and watermarking.

Another embodiment of the present invention is to provides various benefits to the users such as
1. Security: The present invention provides a secure way of transferring information as the hidden message can only be accessed and read by someone who is aware of the Steganography technique used and the key required to decode it.
2. Privacy: The present invention helps to maintain privacy by hiding sensitive information within an image, making it difficult for anyone to detect or intercept the message.
3. Data protection: The present invention can be used to protect sensitive data such as passwords, personal information, and financial information, ensuring that it is not easily accessible to unauthorized parties.
4. Versatility: The present invention can be used in a variety of applications, including digital watermarking, secure communication, and data transfer.
5. User-friendly: The present invention is user-friendly and easy to use, with a simple and intuitive graphical user interface that allows users to easily encode and decode hidden messages.
6. Cost-effective: The present invention is cost-effective as it uses open-source software and popular Python libraries such as NumPy and OpenCV, which are free to use and readily available.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a brief overview of the system and its working as shown in figure 1. The system works as per the below steps:
1. Input the Cover Image: The first step in image Steganography is to input the cover image, which is the image that will be used to hide the secret message. This can be done using Python's imaging library, such as PIL (Python Imaging Library).
2. Input the Secret Message: The next step is to input the secret message that you want to hide inside the cover image. This message can be a text file or an image file.
3. Encoding the Message: After inputting the cover image and the secret message, you need to encode the message into the cover image using some stenographic algorithm. There are various Steganography techniques that can be used, such as Least Significant Bit (LSB) or Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) based techniques.
4. Saving the Output: Once the message has been encoded into the cover image, you need to save the output image as a new file. This file will be used to decode the message later.
5. Decoding the Message: To decode the hidden message from the Steganography image, you need to extract the message from the cover image using the same Steganography algorithm that was used to encode the message.
6. Display the Decoded Message: Once the message has been extracted from the cover image, you can display the decoded message on the screen. , Claims:We claim,
1. A method of protecting data by using Steganography comprising of:
a) Message encoding allows users to encode a message into an image which is not visible to the naked eye;
b) Image selection allows users to select any image of their choice to use as the cover image; and
c) Message decoding allows users to decode a hidden message from an image with the appropriate key to ensure security and privacy;
Wherein the Steganography is secured platform for the users to transmit their messages securely by embedding the encrypted message with the image.

2. The method of protecting data by using Steganography as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said system implements a Least Significant Bit technique, where the secret message bits are stored in the least significant bit of each pixel color channel.

3. The method of protecting data by using Steganography as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said system provides a secure and robust means of transmitting confidential messages within digital images, which can be useful to covert communication, data hiding, and watermarking.

4. A method of working to protecting data by using Steganography comprising of steps:
a) Input the Cover Image which is the image used to hide the secret message by Python's imaging library;
b) Input the Secret Message to hide inside the cover image which can be a text file or an image file;
c) Encoding the Message after inputting the cover image and the secret message by using stenographic algorithm such as Least Significant Bit or Discrete Cosine Transform based techniques;
d) Saving the Output image as new file once the message has been encoded into the cover image which used to decode the message later;
e) Decoding the hidden Message from the Steganography image by using the same Steganography algorithm; and
f) Display the Decoded Message on the screen once the message has been extracted from the cover image.
Dated 28th Jul, 2023

Chothani Pritibahen Bipinbhai
Reg. No.: IN/PA-3148
For and on behalf of the applicant