Stagchain – A Steganography based Application Working on a Blockchain Environment

Abstract

Communication plays a vital role in human life. But in the case of sharing confidential information, there are many issues of concern, such as the lack of confidentiality, authenticity and integrity. Steganography is one of the methods used for conventional covert communication, but it sends the information via an insecure channel. Even though the hackers entering into the channel cannot decrypt the original data, information such as recipient details and communication time are exposed and the communication can be disrupted or hijacked. To address this problem, "Stag-chain," a blockchain-based design that combines an effective steganographic technique with the Advance Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) Protocol (decentralized cloud storage), is introduced. Furthermore, the image file will be available on the cloud for retrieval only for a limited period after which it will be replaced by a normal image. Since the data is sent as a transaction in Ethereum, it is almost impossible to manipulate or retrieve that data, hence ensuring data integrity and data security. The aim of the said scheme is to develop an app that will ensure data confidentiality, establish a secure channel to transmit data, enhance data security and protect the data from unauthorized access or manipulation.