A novel multi secret sharing scheme with MSB extraction using EVCS

Visual cryptography scheme is a method to transmit the secret image securely in which one secret image is shared using n numbers of random looking shares and secret image can be revealed by superimposing k out of n transparencies with human visual system. Visual cryptography has proved that security can be attained with simple encryption schemes. In this paper we propose a visual secret sharing scheme based on Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme (EVCS) that share two color images into n meaningful shares with bit plane encoding. In a digital image, the most significant bit contains more visual information. The two secret images are combined using significant number of most significant bits, before applying EVCS. Then EVCS is applied to generate n shares. At the receiver end, the two shares are separated and superimposed to reveal the hidden secret. Hence the decryption can be done with a very low computation. The new scheme generates the more secure and meaningful shares that can be managed and recognized easily.