Steganography Approach Research Articles

A stegano - visual cryptography technique for multimedia security

Owing to the increasing growth in digital communication as well as the multimedia applications, security has now become a very significant problem in the communication as well as storage space of such images. The Visual Cryptography (VC) has been used for hiding the information that are in the images which is a special technique of encryption that is decrypted by a human visual system. In this paper, a technique for embedding a secret message within that of a cover-image to ensure the interceptors will not observe the presence of such hidden data is presented. The method has an essential conception by means of a simple Least Significant Bit (LSB) substitution. Being inspired by the steganography approach, the current work splits the cover images into n blocks of 8X 8 pixels and into a secret message of n partitions in order to improve the image quality and to increase the capacity of secret message along with its security level. For the purpose of improving this stego-image quality and for increasing the capacity of secret message along with its security level, being inspired by the current work that splits cover images into the n blocks of 8X 8 pixels and into a secret message of n partitions. In the proposed method, the Cuckoo Search (CS) is used for searching an approximate and optimal solution of finding any optimal substitution matrix to transform the message in every block as opposed to finding a single optimal matrix for substitution and the entire cover-image is presented. The final quality of its resulting in the stego-image, and its secret message and its capacity with the level of security of this method proposed will be calculated and then comparted to the other different methods. The results of the experiment proved that the proposed method outperformed all the Joint Photographic Experts Group (the JPEG) and the Joint Quantization Table Modification (the JQTM) based method in terms of quality of image, security level and embedding capacity.

SVD-based robust image steganographic scheme using RIWT and DCT for secure transmission of medical images

The advances in computer technologies and the Internet have made rapid strides and breakthroughs in the field of data communication, which nowadays, is easily accessed. Unfortunately, this easy access offers almost endless opportunities for pirating copyrighted and confidential medical imagery. Many methods are proposed in the literature, however, most of them lack in robustness and perceptibility, and are prone to attacks. Hence, this study proposes a robust image steganographic approach that combines Redundant Integer Wavelet Transform (RIWT), Discrete Wavelet Transforms (DCT) and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and the logistic chaotic map. RIWT being a shift invariant, reversibility and robustness were achieved in this proposed technique. Better level of imperceptibility was achieved using SVD and DCT, with embedding carried out on singular values. Extra security was provided using the logistic chaotic map for encryption of secret medical images, which also enhanced the robustness of the technique. The effectiveness of our proposed scheme was compared with similar schemes available in the literature using common parameters such as imperceptibility, robustness and resistance to several geometric transformation attacks. This technique proved superior to other existing methods. The UCID benchmarking database was used during validation.

Correction to: Multilayer Partially Homomorphic Encryption Text Steganography (MLPHE-TS): A Zero Steganography Approach

The full name of the first author’s affiliation was not shown in the original publication. It is correctly shown here.

Performance analysis on secured data method in natural language steganography

The rapid amount of exchange information that causes the expansion of the internet during the last decade has motivated that a research in this field. Recently, steganography approaches have received an unexpected attention. Hence, the aim of this paper is to review different performance metric; covering the decoding, decrypting and extracting performance metric. The process of data decoding interprets the received hidden message into a code word. As such, data encryption is the best way to provide a secure communication. Decrypting take an encrypted text and converting it back into an original text. Data extracting is a process which is the reverse of the data embedding process. The effectiveness evaluation is mainly determined by the performance metric aspect. The intention of researchers is to improve performance metric characteristics. The evaluation success is mainly determined by the performance analysis aspect. The objective of this paper is to present a review on the study of steganography in natural language based on the criteria of the performance analysis. The findings review will clarify the preferred performance metric aspects used. This review is hoped to help future research in evaluating the performance analysis of natural language in general and the proposed secured data revealed on natural language steganography in specific.

A new approach for Steganography: Bit shifting operation of encrypted data in LSB (SED-LSB)

In this article, a new method is presented by adding bit shift of encrypted data in LSB method (SED-LSB). The message to be embedded in the cover image is encrypted by the key received from the user. Then, secret data are obtained by bit shifting operation using this encrypted text. Finally, the secret data is hidden inside the cover image using the LSB method. SED-LSB is performed by preparing GUI in MATLAB. The quality of the cover image is measured by Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), besides the similarity between the cover and stego image is determined by the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM). The 512 x 512 size of colored images as Lena, Peppers, Fruits and Baboon are used to hide 87373 byte data. PSNR values are between 51.615 – 51.656 and SSIM values are between 0.99937 – 0.99982. In the proposed method, when data are hidden at a higher capacity, stage image is found not only secure but also high quality.

Secure medical image steganography through optimal pixel selection by EH-MB pipelined optimization technique

In today’s world, transmission of information over the channel is not secure for example patient records and other sensitive information. In order to protect this sensitive information, it is coded within the image, audio or text files which is decodable only with the help of a particular key. To enable security to the covert communication and safeguarding the information for securing medical data to avoid medical related cybercrimes, we have proposed a method for medical image steganography using Elephant Herding-Monarch Butterfly (EH-MB) Optimization algorithm for effective selection of pixels for embedding the secret message (i.e. image/text medical report data) in the cover image. Initially, the cover is converted to frequency domain using multilevel DWT, where, the pixel selection is done optimally in the high frequency components using EH-MB algorithm. EH-MB based pixel selection procedure uses a fitness function that depends on the cost function, which calculates the edge, entropy, and intensity of the pixel for evaluating fitness. Simulation was done in the working platform of MATLAB and comparison of the proposed steganography approach was done with the other existing methods in terms of Peak-Signal-to Noise-Ratio and Mean Square Error to prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

A reversible and affine invariant 3D data hiding technique based on difference shifting and logistic map

Image steganography has evolved as an active area of research because of its advantage to hide secret information inside an ingenuous image invisibly. In the recent years, improvements have been done in hardware to process 3D image models which laid down the path for 3D image steganography. The proposed work presents a novel approach of reversible data hiding in 3D mesh models. Difference between the vertices is shifted to hide secret bits inside the vertices. Chaotic logistic map is also used in the proposed work to decide the coordinate taken up for embedding. The proposed blind steganography system withstands rotation, scaling and translation attacks. Novel mesh traversal algorithm is proposed to visit the mesh vertices. This algorithm gives a unique mesh traversal algorithm for every 3D mesh model. The performance of proposed approach is compared with three well-known image steganography approaches over five cover models. The experimental results reveal that the difference between stego model and cover model cannot be observed by human eye. The proposed approach provides better embedding capacity than the previous approach in the field of reversible data hiding in 3D cover models.

Effective payload and improved security using HMT Contourlet transform in medical image steganography

This paper implements a novel approach for image steganography based on Hidden Markov Tree (HMT) Contourlet transform. In this paper, the biomedical image considers as a cover image and it is mapped to a specific frequency domain by applying HMT Contourlet transform. Then canny edge detection method implemented to detect the smooth edges to hide the secret data. The secret data is encrypted by using Paillier cryptosystem in a new location of the cover image. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm developed for the selection of the best place to locate the number of particles in a new location. The proposed method prevents the medical image from the various attacks such as rotate, crop, histogram, salt & pepper, blur and resize provides the robustness, thereby reduces to 8.19%, 10.88%, 24.03%, 15.27%, 13.21% and 14.35%. The performance measures of Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), Mean Square Error (MSE) are calculated to show the better performance compared with the existing techniques.

Fuzzy edge detection based steganography using modified Gaussian distribution

This paper proposes a fuzzy edge detection based steganography approach to effectively hide data within images. Instead of applying conventional edge detection algorithms, the method uses a fuzzy edge detection approach in order to estimate more number of pixels where the data can be hidden. At the outset, the cover image is masked and the fuzzy edge detection is performed on the masked image thus retaining edge information. The number of bits to be embedded in a particular pixel is dependent on whether the pixel is an edge pixel, where more bits are embedded. In case the pixel is not an edge pixel and also not a background pixel then the amount of data that is to be embedded depends on the Euclidean distance of the respective pixel from the nearest edge pixel and is determined by the Gaussian function. Experimental results ensure that the scheme offers variable payload with acceptable quality distortion in the stego-image.

A morphologically robust chaotic map based approach to embed patient's confidential data securely in non-QRS regions of ECG signal.

In e-healthcare paradigm, the physiological signals along with patient's personal information need to be transmitted to remote healthcare centres. Before sharing this sensitive information over the unsecured channel, it is prerequisite to protect it from unauthorised access. The proposed method explores ECG signal as the cover signal to hide patient's personal information without disturbing its diagnostic features. Chaotic maps are used to randomly select the embedding locations in the non-QRS region while excluding the sensitive QRS region of ECG train. Optimum Location Selection algorithm has been designed to select the embedding locations in non-QRS embedding region. The proposed algorithm is thoroughly examined and the distortion is measured in terms of statistical parameters and clinical measures such as PRD, PRDN, PRD1024, PSNR, SNR, MSE, MAE, KL-Divergence, WWPRD and WEDD. The robustness of the algorithm is verified using the parameters such as key space and key sensitivity. The implementation has been extensively tested on all the 48 records of the standard MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database, abnormal databases [CU-VT, BIDMC-CHF and PTB (leads I, II and III)] and self-recorded data of 20 subjects. The algorithm yields average PRD, MSE, KL-Divergence, PSNR, WWPRD and WEDD of 4.7 × 10-3, 1.13 × 10-5, 1.29 × 10-5, 50.28, 0.15 and 0.04at an average maximum EC of 0.45(96876 bits) on MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database and 0.016, 3.38 × 10-5, 1.8 × 10-4, 46.03, 0.13 and 0.03 respectively at an average maximum EC of 0.47 (102571 bits) on self-recorded data which clearly reveals the competency of the proposed algorithm in comparison with the other state of the art ECG steganography approaches.

Unsystematic Pattern Mosaic Image Watermarking

Mosaic image methodologies have been effectively suggested should tackle different issues in the image transforming for example, image division. Similarly as it gets to be a great referred to art, there are many mosaic image images accessible in the web galleries. On addition, there will be truly an enormous amount about spare mosaic image making product accessible in the business sectors. In this paper we will consider the Characteristics of the mosaic image which could assistance on execute imperceptible information concealed methodology (that is Steganography approach). On a significant number correspondences we transmit advanced images so, there need aid an amount for strategies accessible to accomplishing this privacy, a standout amongst them being Steganography. This makes utilization of mosaic image formation which needs two unique techniques, DWT (Discrete wavelet Transform) and DCT (Discrete cosine the senior Transform). Those disguise image may be subjectively chosen Also employments for this image will hidey naught of the mystery image. In this paper we need aid portray the utilization from claiming DCT Furthermore DWT strategy with their points of interest. With the utilization about this system we hiddenite’s the mystery information under the mosaic images.

Images Steganography Approach Supporting Chaotic Map Technique for the Security of Online Transfer

One of the most important issue in this domain is the security concern of the transfer data. The online transfer data may access illegally through attack the communication gate between the servers and the users. The main aim of this study is to enhance the security level of the online data transfer using two integrated methods; images steganography to hide the transfer data in image media, and chaotic map to remap the original format of the transfer data. The integration between these two methods is effective to secure the data in several format such as text, audio, and images. The proposed algorithm is the prototyped using JAVA programming, 20 images and text messages of usable sizes (plain data) were tested on the dataset using the developed programming. The simulation using local server is accomplished to analyze the security performance based on two factors; the plain data size and the data transfer distance. Many attacking attempts are performed on the simulation test using known attacking techniques such as observe the stego images quality. The experiment results show that about 85% of the attacking attempts fail to catch the stego images. 95% of the attacks fail in remap meaningful parts of the chaotic data. The results indicate the very good level of the propose security methods to secure the online transfer data. The contribution of this study is the effective integration between the steganography and chaotic map approaches to assure high security level of online data transfer.

Breaking Permutation-Based Mesh Steganography and Security Improvement

Permutation-based steganography in polygonal meshes can provide considerably large embedding capacities for hiding secret messages. However, corresponding steganalysis techniques against such methods have never been studied. This paper identifies the essential differences between naturally generated meshes and meshes produced by permutation-based steganography methods. It is found that the two types of meshes differ significantly in the distribution of topological distances between consecutive mesh elements. Therefore, by measuring the orderliness of the vertex list and the face list of meshes, we develop solutions for several mesh steganalysis problems. These solutions are effective, leading to high detection accuracy; and they are also universal, requiring no knowledge such as which steganography method is used and what data embedding rate is adopted for the detection mechanism to work. Moreover, this paper also presents a security-improved permutation-based mesh steganography approach, by taking advantage of the connectivity information of polygonal meshes and establishing a good trade-off between embedding capacity and undetectability. Without bringing global changes, our approach embeds secret messages into local neighborhoods on meshes. As a result, meshes generated by the proposed steganography approach tend to have natural structures that are unlikely to draw suspicions to steganalyzers.

LSB based Image Steganography by using the Fast Marching Method

This paper presents a novel approach for image steganography based on the Least Significant Bit (LSB) method. Most traditional LSB methods choose the initial embedding location of the cover image randomly, and the secret messages are embedded sequentially without considering the image pixels’ values and positions. Our approach utilizes the user-selected seeds in the cover image to avoid the smooth/flat areas where cause a higher detection rate. Then the fast marching method is used to calculate T (the time of arrival of the front of the seeds) and propagate the seeds by computational dynamics. The front propagation process decides the embedding positions of the secret messages. The same algorithm can be used to retrieve the hidden information as well. The coordinates of the seeds are used as the shared key only known to the sender and receiver to add additional security protection. Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) is evaluated to measure the quality of resulting images. The experiments show that the proposed approach generates results with high payload capacity and satisfied imperceptibility.

Information Security Using the Ensemble Approach of Steganography and Cryptography

Information security is a buzz world that has made the working philosophy of businesses, administration and society more complex. Cryptography and steganography are the twin technologies that form the building block of data security in various operating environments including the networked systems. We find that most of the security endeavors use these technologies in isolation. We propose that data can be made more secure by applying the multifold fold techniques wherein we convert the plain text into cipher text and then embed it to other media by applying steganography technique. We establish that this ensemble approach can make the security feature more robust.

Visual vocabulary tree-based partial-duplicate image retrieval for coverless image steganography

The traditional image steganographic approaches embed the secret message into covers by modifying their contents. Therefore, the modification traces left in the cover will cause some damages to the cover, especially embedding more messages in the cover. More importantly, the modification traces make successful steganalysis possible. In this paper, visual vocabulary tree-based partial-duplicate image retrieval for coverless image steganography is proposed to embed the secret messages without any modification. The main idea of our method is to retrieve a set of duplicates of a given secret image as stego-images from a natural image database. The images in the database will be divided into a number of image patches, and then indexed by the features extracted from the image patches. We search for the duplicates of the secret image in the image database to obtain the stego-images. Each of these stego-images shares one similar image patch with the secret image. When receiver obtains those stego-images, our method can recover the secret image approximately by using the designed protocols. Experimental results show that our method not only resists the existing steganalysis tools, but also has high capacity.

Partial-duplicate image retrieval based on HSV colour space for coverless information hiding

In conventional image steganography approaches, modification traces will be left in the designated cover images. Consequently, the secret information could be possibly detected by steganalysis tools. In this paper, a coverless image steganography approach based on partial-duplicate image retrieval is proposed to hide images without modification. First, we divide equally any given query or database image into a set of image blocks. Then, for a given query image, we search for its partial-duplicate images in a large-scale database according to the similarity between the HSV colour features of image blocks. Finally, these retrieved partial-duplicate images are used to represent and hide the secret image. Moreover, we propose an encryption algorithm based on chaotic maps to ensure the security of our approach. Both the theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed coverless image steganography approach has good security, high robustness and strong resistance to the existing steganalysis tools.

Anti-Forensic Reversible Multi Frame Block to Block Pixel Mapping Information Concealing Approach to Increase the Robustness and Perceptibility

All the internet applications like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp requires video and audio, hence there is a requirement to improve the security, privacy and confidentiality of transmitted sensitive information over internet is the biggest issue. The proposed algorithm resolves all the key issues in the existing steganography which is built on the reversible video crypto steganography approach. In this paper, reversible audio video crypto steganography is implemented using multi frame block to block pixel mapping exploding modification direction (MFBBPM EMD) algorithm is to embed secret data as images and audio. Furthermore, to increase the perceptibility, robustness and security of hidden data, anti-forensic detection approach and different types of attacks are applied on stego video during transmission which does not disturb the original stego video and secret data using LabVIEW. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed novel technique as compare to existing approach.

Applying CRISPR-Cas9 Off-Target Editing on DNA based Steganography

Different from cryptography which encodes data into an incomprehensible format difficult to decrypt, steganography hides the trace of data and therefore minimizes attention to the hidden data. To hide data, a carrier body must be utilized. In addition to the traditional data carriers including images, audios, and videos, DNA emerges as another promising data carrier due to its high capacity and complexity. Currently, DNA based steganography can be practiced with either biological DNA substances or digital DNA sequences. In this article, we present a digital DNA steganography approach that utilizes the CRISPR-Cas9 off-target editing such that the secret message is fragmented into multiple sgRNA homologous sequences in the genome. Retrieval of the hidden message mimics the Cas9 off-target detection process which can be accelerated by computer software. The feasibility of this approach is analyzed, and practical concerns are discussed.

Towards Novel Video Steganography Approach for Information Security

Communication security has taken vital role with the advancement in digital communication. The universal use of internet for communication has increased the attacks to users. The security of information is the present issue related to privacy and safety during storage and communication. This paper deals with the proposition of a multilayered secure channel to transfer sensitive data/video over an unreliable network. The secret video is first encrypted using the NOLSB algorithm. The cipher video produced is hidden in a video file with more size. This video file is in turn encrypted following the (m,k) firm technique to maximize resource utilization and to optimize the bandwidth. Then video shares are sent over many channels in the network in order to assure security. This method guarantee that, even if some shares got lost over network, video files could be recovered at the end receiver without need to resend the video file by the sender.