Enhancing Information Security in Smart Manufacturing Through Least Significant Bit Steganography in Engineering Drawings

Information-hiding technology has garnered increasing attention within the realm of smart manufacturing. This study proposes a methodology that employs least significant bit (LSB) steganography to embed servo press codes within engineering drawings, thereby enhancing information security in this domain. Through a series of analyses—including accuracy assessment, visual quality index evaluation, and security analysis—a comprehensive framework for information security mechanisms pertinent to smart manufacturing has been established. To validate the efficacy of the proposed mechanisms, two case studies were conducted. Case 1 involved scanned files from conventional processing drawings, while Case 2 utilized electronic files generated by standard drawing software. Both cases underwent meticulous accuracy and visual quality index analyses. The accuracy assessment revealed that code extraction in both Case 1 and Case 2 achieved a remarkable 100% accuracy, thereby affirming the complete preservation of the concealed information. In terms of visual quality, Case 1 demonstrated superior image fidelity, with all visual quality indicators attaining elevated levels, rendering it suitable for applications necessitating high-quality imagery. Conversely, Case 2 exhibited advantages in information fidelity, making it more appropriate for scenarios with stringent embedding requirements. Further relative entropy analysis indicated that both cases presented low relative entropy values; however, Case 1 exhibited enhanced consistency in maintaining the statistical features of the image, signifying superior concealment capabilities. Additionally, the pixel difference histogram (PDH) analysis revealed that the impact of steganography on the distribution of image pixel values was negligible, thereby complicating the detection of the hidden data. This finding substantiates the feasibility of implementing steganography in engineering drawings. In summary, this study introduces a robust set of information security transmission mechanisms tailored for the smart manufacturing sector. In the event of cyberattacks via cloud platforms, these mechanisms enable manufacturing facilities to effectively mitigate threats without incurring losses.