A Hybrid Framework for Secure Communication Integrating HMAC and GAN Algorithm

The exponential growth of sensitive data transmitted across insecure public networks necessitates the development of robust security solutions. This paper proposes CRYPTO-STEGO, a novel hybrid framework that synergistically integrates cryptographic and steganographic techniques to bolster communication security. CRYPTO-STEGO leverages Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) for data encryption, ensuring confidentiality and integrity. Additionally, it utilizes Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) for imperceptible data embedding within an image carrier. This symbiotic integration offers comprehensive data protection by guaranteeing confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. HMAC safeguards data integrity and authenticity, while GAN cloaks the data within the image, rendering it undetectable to the human eye. This multifaceted approach effectively thwarts unauthorized access attempts within the network, ensuring that only authorized recipients can access the embedded data. Consequently, CRYPTO-STEGO significantly elevates the overall security posture of data communication. The framework achieves high image quality metrics (PSNR=49.4482, SSIM=O.9962, Correlation=O.99978), demonstrating its effectiveness in preserving the fidelity of the cover image.