Several steganographic methods using for embedding of hidden data in electronic text documents

Abstract

The description of the method and algorithm for embedding a hidden message or a digital watermark into files of Microsoft Word electronic documents in .DOCX format based on two steganographic methods is given. A Microsoft Word electronic document in .DOCX format is used as a steganographic container. One of the methods uses the features of displaying a document by a word processor and the word processor allows the displacement of hidden characters, such as spaces, tabs and paragraphs, in the text relatively to the line of text. The second method uses the feature of the .DOCX format electronic text document that a document is an archive containing Open XML format files and media files, so specialized steganographic methods for XML files can be used for embedding a hidden message. In this case the quotes replacement method is used. The embedding of a hidden message by one of the methods is used for checking the integrity of the other message through the second method. Depending on the capacity of the steganographic container a method can be chosen to embed the message anda method to control the integrity of the message. The algorithm of the inverse steganographic transformation for extracting a message and confirming the integrity of an electronic document is considered. The application is developed to perform the embedding of a hidden message in an electronic text document depending on the capacity of the container. The possibility of using of some steganographic methods is analyzed with the aim of forming a multi-key steganographic system intended for a digital watermarking of an electronic document Microsoft Word format .DOCX.