An improved secret sharing using XOR-based Visual Cryptography

In order to share a secret information among a group of participants, the method of secret sharing is used. The secret sharing method that is used to share or encrypt images is called Visual Cryptography. The main problems that subsist in Visual Cryptography are pixel expansion and poor image quality. Research are being conducted to solve the above mentioned problems. In this research, effective technique of share generation based on XOR-based visual cryptography for General Access Structures is introduced. Perfect restoration of the secret, no pixel expansion and no code book requirement are the advantages that the algorithm is expected to have. The generated shares are then covered in an image using steganography which provides additional security.