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19INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONFERENCE "DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION IN THE SPHERES" APRIL 27-28, 2023
MODELING OF A TWO-LEVEL CRYPTOGRAPHIC AND STEGANOGRAPHIC INFORMATION PROTECTION SYSTEM TO INCREASE SECURITY IN IP NETWORKS USING THE CRYPTOOL PROGRAM Yakubova Mubarak Zahidovna1, Naubetov Daulet Abatuly1, Rakhmatullaev Marat Alimovich2, Sadikova Gulnar Sadirhanovna3 1,3Almaty University of Power Engineering and Telecommunication named Gumarbek Daukeev, 2Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7857646
Abstract. This article is devoted to the modeling and investigation of cryptographic algorithm AES and LSB steganographic methods transmitted information on the program CrypTool. The introduction of this work provides an overview of sources devoted to this topic in various branches of science.
A model of a two-level cryptographic and steganographic system has been developed using a symmetric AES encryption algorithm at the first level of information protection and LSB steganography at the second level to increase security in IP networks.
The relevance of the research lies in the fact that the development of encryption systems, as well as the concomitant development of their hacking, leads to the development of modern security systems for cryptography and steganography. Therefore, the AES algorithm with a 256bit key size and the LSB steganographic method for hiding information in a digital image were chosen for encryption and decryption.
Keywords. AES, LSB, steganography, CrypTool, cryptography.
INTRODUCTION
Currently, large amounts of data are transmitted in IP networks, and cryptography is used to ensure their confidentiality. Unlike cryptography, which hides the contents of a message, steganography hides the very fact of its existence. Steganography comes from the Greek words steganos (hidden) and grapho (writing) [1,2]. The advantage of using steganography is that additional time is spent when an attacker discloses the transmitted message [3].
We will review the works devoted to the topic of the publication. With the increase in transmitted data, there is an urgent need to ensure security using cryptography and steganography, which is described in the article [4] "Combination of Steganography and Cryptography: A short Survey", the main purpose of which is to review several ways of combining steganographic and cryptographic methods to create a hybrid system.
The article [5] "A Proficient and secure way of Transmission using Cryptography and Steganography" presents a new implementation of steganography for confidential data transfer between the parties. Steganography and cryptography are used to ensure secure data transmission through web applications.
The article [6] "A Comparative Study of Various Lossless Compression Techniques of Steganography and Cryptography" provides an overview and detailed discussion of various methods of shorthand compression and a combination of methods of steganography and cryptography.
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONFERENCE "DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION IN THE SPHERES" APRIL 27-28, 2023
Moreover, the use of cryptography and steganography can be used in medicine, as in the article [7] "The Combination of Steganography and Cryptography for Medical Image Applications", which describes the security of the patient's medical indications.
The article [8] "Steganography Method Using Effective Combination of RSA Cryptography and Data Compression" uses the RSA algorithm, data compression and Hash-LSB steganography method to ensure data security. The proposed method is safe for digital data transmission, and also reduces the time of sending data over the Internet.
Considering the above analysis of sources, the publication on the topic: "Modeling of a two-level cryptographic and steganographic system to improve security in IP networks using the Cryptool program" is relevant and contains a scientific novelty, which consists in developing the number of levels while increasing the degree of security of IP networks.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AES CRYPTOGRAPHIC ALGORITHM MODELING SCHEME
Considering that secure data transmission becomes difficult due to the active activity of intruders in relation to confidential information, data security problems are aimed at developing a model of the AES encryption algorithm using the Cryptool program shown in Figure 1 [9].
Figure 1 - The developed scheme of the AES cryptosystem encryption model based on
the CrypTool program
The simulation scheme uses a key equal to 256 bits. In the AES module, the key length can take the following values equal to: 128, 192, 256 bits.
After running the built AES algorithm simulation scheme, the input text is converted to binary code, where the transmitted message for encryption is: "confidential information".
Further, using the functional block of the AES algorithm, the message was decrypted and converted into a text and binary sequence, which are shown in Figure 1.
Taking into account the attacks made by intruders, as practice shows [10], an algorithm for linear-algebraic cryptanalysis of a Reindahl type cipher is proposed. The paper considers an approach related to the distribution of circular differentials and describes and substantiates the algorithm [10]. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the security of the IP network using
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONFERENCE "DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION IN THE SPHERES" APRIL 27-28, 2023
steganography. To increase the cryptographic strength and reliability of the encrypted message with the AES algorithm, the encryption results will be hidden using LSB steganography.
STEGANOGRAPHIC METHOD OF IMAGE MODELING BY LSB METHOD The LSB (Least Significant Bit) method consists in hiding the transmitted message inside the image, replacing the least significant bit of the image with the message bits that should be hidden. By changing only the first rightmost bits, you can insert a secret message, and this will make the image invisible. Since only the least significant bits are replaced, the difference between the original container image and the container in the images containing hidden data is small and usually invisible to the human eye.
To develop a reliable and efficient model, the Cryptool program uses LSB steganography and the AES cryptographic algorithm shown in Figure 2. On the sender's side, the transmitted message is first encrypted using AES, which is translated into a binary sequence. Further, the encrypted message is hidden in the image using digital steganography based on the LSB method.
Figure 2 - Simulation diagram of two-level protection of the transmitted message by the AES algorithm and LSB steganography
To check the input message, in the simulation scheme shown above, the hidden message is extracted using the module and decryption by the AES algorithm is applied, where it was converted into a text and binary sequence.
As you can see from Figure 3, you can see the difference by viewing the color of each pixel before and after the replacement. The color of the pixel before the conversion is displayed on the left, the color of the pixel after it is displayed on the right. The RGB value bits are displayed when highlighting the bits that were selected for the hiding process.
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONFERENCE "DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION IN THE SPHERES" APRIL 27-28, 2023
Figure 3 - RGB bits before and after changes To view the modified pixel in the image, there are coordinates on the x andy axis. Figure 4 shows that the modified bits are located in the upper left corner of the image in a sequence along the x axis.
Figure 4 - Image with modified bits
Thus, it can be concluded that two similar areas in science such as cryptography and steganography can be applied to ensure improved confidentiality of the transmitted message.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This article was prepared as part of the government contract as requested by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the subject formulated as "Development of a method for improving the security of a telecommunications network based on IP-PBX Asterisk" (project No. AP14871745).
CONCLUSIONS
1. From the review and analysis of articles that conduct research on the use of cryptographic algorithms and steganography on the Cryptool program, it can be seen that they lack multilevel systems for protecting the transmitted information.
2. In the process of work, encryption with the AES algorithm is the first level of protection of the transmitted information. Considering the existing studies in which this algorithm is being attacked, it was decided to use steganography to increase reliability and cryptographic strength.
3. This publication has a scientific novelty, which consists in the application of two levels of security of transmitted information consisting of the AES cryptographic algorithm and the LSB shorthand method, to increase the level of security and cryptographic strength in IP networks.
4. As a practical significance of the research results obtained, this publication can be used by bachelors, undergraduates and anyone who uses the Cryptool program to complete their theses.
REFERENCES
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONFERENCE "DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION IN THE SPHERES" APRIL 27-28, 2023
1. Sally Addad, «Implementation and Visualization of Steganography Procedures in CrypTool2», Bachelor's Thesis, University of Mannheim. School of Business Informatics and Mathematics, Germany, Mannheim 2020.
2. Naubetov D., Yakubova M.Z., Mirzakulova S.A., Yakubov D.M., Serikov T.G., «Network traffic research between lan and isp based on opnet modeler and wireshark application programs» (2022) Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, 100 (16), pp. 5219 - 5233.
3. Steganography. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steganography (visited on 03.03.2023).
4. Mustafa Sabah Taha, Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim, Sameer Abdulsattar Lafta, Mohammed Mahdi Hashim, Hassanain Mahdi Alzuabidi, «Combination of Steganography and Cryptography: A short Survey», IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2019, Volume 518, Issue 5, DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/518/5/052003.
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