A HYBRID APPROACH TO DATA SECURITY: INTEGRATING CRYPTOGRAPHY AND STEGANOGRAPHY FOR ENHANCED PROTECTION OF EYE DISEASE DATA

Abstract

In the digital era, the security and confidentiality of medical data have become paramount, particularly within the healthcare sector where sensitive information is routinely stored and shared electronically. This study presents a hybrid approach to securing eye disease data by integrating cryptography and steganography, aiming to enhance data protection beyond traditional single-layer security methods. Eye disease datasets often include both personal identifiers and critical health records, making them highly susceptible to threats such as identity theft, data breaches, and unethical exploitation. By combining cryptographic techniques which encrypt data into an unreadable format with steganographic methods that conceal encrypted data within benign digital files, this research offers a robust dual-layer security mechanism.