Genetic Algorithm based Approach to Select Suitable Cover Image for Image Steganography

Steganography is used to perform covert communication. The advantage of steganography over other secret communication techniques is its ability to conceal the presence of covert communication. In image steganography, the secret information is concealed in the cover image, in such a way that it produces very negligible change in the cover image. A vast amount of research is performed in image steganography but very limited studies have explored the possibility of choosing a cover image for steganography which provides better compatibility with the secret data. In this paper, we propose a genetic algorithm based technique for selecting a cover image from a database of images. The selected cover image is most compatible with the given secret data. We further explore the possibility of rearranging the secret data to increase the imperceptibility of the stego image.