Information hiding

Abstract: A novel reversible data hiding algorithm, which can recover the original image without any distortion from the marked image after the hidden data have been extracted, is presented in this paper. This algorithm utilizes the zero or the minimum points of the histogram of an image and slightly modifies the pixel grayscale values to embed data into the image. It can embed more data than many of the existing reversible data hiding algorithms. It is proved analytically and shown experimentally that the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of the marked image generated by this method versus the original image is guaranteed to be above 48 dB. This lower bound of PSNR is much higher than that of all reversible data hiding techniques reported in the literature. The computational complexity of our proposed technique is low and the execution time is short. The algorithm has been successfully applied to a wide range of images, including commonly used images, medical images, texture images, aerial images and all of the 1096 images in CorelDraw database. Experimental results and performance comparison with other reversible data hiding schemes are presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed algorithm.

Abstract: From the Publisher: Steganography, a means by which two or more parties may communicate using "invisible" or "subliminal" communication, and watermarking, a means of hiding copyright data in images, are becoming necessary components of commercial multimedia applications that are subject to illegal use. This new book is the first comprehensive survey of steganography and watermarking and their application to modern communications and multimedia. Handbook of Information Hiding: Steganography and Watermarking helps you understand steganography, the history of this previously neglected element of cryptography, the hurdles of international law on strong cryptographic techniques, a description of possible applications, and a survey of the methods you can use to hide information in modern media. Included in this discussion is an overview of "steganalysis," methods which can be used to break steganographic communication. This comprehensive resource also includes an introduction to and survey of watermarking methods, and discusses this method's similarities and differences to steganography. You gain a working knowledge of watermarking's pros and cons, and you learn the legal implications of watermarking and copyright issues on the Internet.

Abstract: In this paper, we clarify what steganography is and what it can do. We contrast it with the related disciplines of cryptography and traffic security, present a unified terminology agreed at the first international workshop on the subject, and outline a number of approaches-many of them developed to hide encrypted copyright marks or serial numbers in digital audio or video. We then present a number of attacks, some new, on such information hiding schemes. This leads to a discussion of the formidable obstacles that lie in the way of a general theory of information hiding systems (in the sense that Shannon gave us a general theory of secrecy systems). However, theoretical considerations lead to ideas of practical value, such as the use of parity checks to amplify covertness and provide public key steganography. Finally, we show that public key information hiding systems exist, and are not necessarily constrained to the case where the warden is passive.