An Optimized Secret Image Sharing Scheme Based on Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm

Abstract

A secret image kept in a single information-carrier could be easily retrieved or damaged by unauthorized entity. In the gigantic internet communication, the secret image sharing schemes can be used to share a secret image with utmost confidentiality over unsecured public channels. In this scheme a secret image is programmed into n transparencies of arbitrary prototypes. It is possible to decode the secret image visually by superimposing a qualified subset of transparencies. Nevertheless, no secret image can be acquired from the superposition of an illegal subset. In this paper, an efficient Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm is proposed for secret image sharing scheme. The original secret image pixels and key matrix is used to construct the transparencies. Here an ACO algorithm is utilized to optimize the key matrix to improve the transparency image quality. Experiments are conducted to show the security and efficiency of the proposed scheme. Comparisons with previous approaches show the advantages of the proposed scheme. Keyword-Secret Sharing; Image Sharing; Ant Colony Optimization; Pixels; I. INTRODUCTION Nowadays transmitting multimedia data by means of all-pervasive Internet is the trend gaining interest. With the advent of e-commerce, it has become extremely essential to tackle the sensitive issues of affording data security, especially in the ever-blooming open network environment of the modern era. The encrypting technologies of the time-honored cryptography are generally employed to shelter data safety extensively [1]. Cryptography is used to send and receive encrypted information which can be decrypted only by the sender or receiver. This technique is mainly used to store and transmit the data in an appropriate manner that can be read and processed only by the intended person. In the cryptography process, encryption is the conversion of plaintext (ordinary text or clear text) into cipher text and the reverse process is called decryption and the people who are working in this domain are called as cryptographers. With the emergence of multimedia applications, there is a huge demand for transmission and secured storage of information. So security is indispensable for proper data protection. If the information is protected, the intruders may not be able to distort the data. It becomes challenging to transmit the data in a secured and proper manner. Cryptographic techniques afford the confidentiality and security by reducing the prospect of adversaries [2]. Unlike traditional cryptographic methods such as Data Encryption Standard (DES) scheme and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) scheme, the Visual Cryptography (VC) scheme provides fast decryption without any complex computation [3]. Visual Cryptography (secret sharing scheme) is a modern cryptographic technique used to share the secret data in a secure pattern, maintained with utmost confidentiality. A sender transmits the secret data which is divided into shadows and it holds hidden information. When all of these shadows are aligned and stacked toget...