High-Capacity Embedding Method Based on Double-Layer Octagon-Shaped Shell Matrix

Chin-Feng Lee,Somya Agrawal,Jau-Ji Shen,Yen-Hsi Li

doi:10.3390/sym13040583

Abstract

Data hiding is a technique that embeds a secret message into a cover medium and transfers the hidden information in the secret message to the recipient. In the past, several data hiding methods based on magic matrix have used various geometrical shapes to transmit secret data. The embedding capacity achieved in these methods was often limited due to simple geometrical layouts. This paper proposes a data hiding scheme based on a double-layer octagon-shaped shell matrix. Compared to previous octagon-shaped data hiding methods, the proposed method embeds a total of 7 bits in each pixel pair, reaching an embedding capacity of 3.5 bits per pixel (bpp). Experimental results show that the proposed scheme has a higher embedding capacity compared to other irreversible data hiding schemes. Using the proposed method, it is possible to maintain the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) within an acceptable range with the embedding time less than 2 s.

Highlights

Data hiding technique, called as steganography, embeds a secret message into a cover medium and transfers the information hidden in the secret message to the recipient.The term “steganos” in Greek means “hidden”, and “graphos,” “to write.” The earliest allusion to secret writing in the West with concrete evidence of intent appears in Homer’sIliad [1,2,3,4]
Embedding Capacity (EC) is the amount of secret message per pixel that can be embedded in the image
If the number of secret messages embedded in the image is more and the image quality can be maintained to a certain standard, the data hiding method is supposed to have high imperceptibility and high embedding capacity

Summary

Introduction

Called as steganography, embeds a secret message into a cover medium and transfers the information hidden in the secret message to the recipient.The term “steganos” in Greek means “hidden”, and “graphos,” “to write.” The earliest allusion to secret writing in the West with concrete evidence of intent appears in Homer’sIliad [1,2,3,4]. From ancient times to the present, steganography includes invisible ink, microdots, character arrangement, digital signatures, covert channels, and spread spectrum communication, etc., and ensures that the information is less likely to be noticed and harder to retrieve when the message is transmitted. It makes the information transfer more secure and integrated. As it is very important to know how much secret data can be hidden in a cover image, embedding capacity is an important factor in evaluating the quality of a data hiding technique. When the embedding capacity is large, the possibility of the transmission being intercepted by a malicious attacker becomes less and the security becomes high

Methods

Results

Conclusion