Image Steganography Algorithm Research Articles

Blind image steganography algorithm development which resistant against JPEG compression attack

Blind image steganography algorithm development which resistant against JPEG compression attack

Embedded Image and Video Coding Algorithm Based on Adaptive Filtering Equation

Based on the improved adaptive filtering method, this paper conducts in-depth discussion and research on embedded graphics and video coding and chooses to improve the adaptive filtering algorithm from three aspects: starting point prediction, search template, and window partitioning. The algorithm is imported into the encoder for video capture and encoding. By capturing videos of different formats, resolutions, and times, the memory size of the video files collected before and after the algorithm optimization is compared, and the optimized algorithm occupies the memory space of the video file in the actual system. The conclusion of less and higher coding rates. The collected video information is stored on a personal computer equipped with a freeness, and external electronic devices only need to download and install the browser, and the collected video information can be accessed in the local area network through the protocol. The improved coding algorithm has higher coding efficiency and can reduce the storage space occupied by the video.

Evaluation of High-Efficiency Image Coding algorithm for dermatology images in teledermatology.

Currently, teledermatology assumes a progressively greater role in the modern healthcare system, especially in consultation, diagnosis, or examining lesions and skin cancers. One of the major challenges facing teledermatology systems is determining the optimal image compression method to efficiently reduce the space needed for electronic storage and data transmission. To the objective and subjective assessment of HEIC compression method on dermatological color images and benchmarking the performance of High-Efficiency Image Coding (HEIC) with different algorithms to a feasibility study of the method for teledermatology. Twenty-five clinical and five skin histopathology images were taken in department of dermatology, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. For each image, a set of 24 compressed images with different compression rates, which is composed of eight JPEG, eight JPEG2000, and eight HEIC images, has been prepared. Compressed and original images were shown simultaneously to three dermatologists and one dermatopathologist with different experiences. Each dermatologist scored quality and suitability of compressed images for diagnostic, as well as educational/scientific purposes. An objective evaluation was performed by calculating the mean "distance" of pixel colors and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). All compression rates for HEIC were objectively better than JPEG and JPEG2000, particularly at PSNR. Moreover, mean "color distance" per pixel for compressed images using HEIC was lower than others. The subjective image quality assessment also confirms the results of objective evaluation. In both educational and clinical diagnostic applications, HEIC compressed images have the highest score. In consideration of objective and subjective evaluation, the HEIC algorithm represents an optimal performance in dermatology images compression compared with JPEG and JPEG2000.

Medical image steganographic algorithm via modified LSB method and chaotic map

Medical image steganographic algorithm via modified LSB method and chaotic map

Generative Image Steganography Based on Digital Cardan Grille

In this paper, a generative image steganography algorithm based on digital Cardan Grille is proposed. Combining the ideas of traditional Cardan Grille and the semantic image inpainting technique, the stego image are driven by secret messages directly. The algorithm first embeds the information based on digital Cardan Grille, and then uses generative adversarial network (GANs) to complete the damaged image. The adversarial game not only reconstruct the corrupted image, but also generate a stego image which contains the logic rationality of image content. The experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed method.

A Compression Resistant Steganography Based on Differential Manchester Code

In the field of image steganography research, more and more attention is paid to the importance of stego image robustness. In order to make steganography accessible from laboratory to practical applications, it becomes critical that the stego images can resist JPEG compression from transmission channel. In this paper, an image steganography algorithm with strong robustness to resist JPEG compression is proposed. First, the robust cover elements are selected using the sign of DCT coefficients which are kept constant before and after JPEG compression. Additionally, a distortion function and a weighted cost adjustment method are designed to assign an appropriate cost to each candidate DCT coefficient. Finally, the message is embedded in the cover image which has minimal embedding distortion by flipping the signs of DCT coefficients, while differential Manchester code is applied to the element positions to obtain the location feature. Compared with the prior art, our algorithm has better undetectability and stronger robustness, and it can resist the attacks from the social network platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WeChat.

A robust low frequency integer wavelet transform based fractal encryption algorithm for image steganography

A robust low frequency integer wavelet transform based fractal encryption algorithm for image steganography

An enhanced Huffman-PSO based image optimization algorithm for image steganography

It is crucial in the field of image steganography to find an algorithm for hiding information by using various combinations of compression techniques. The primary factors in this research are maximizing the capacity and improving the quality of the image. The image quality cannot be compromised up to a certain level as it breaks the concept of steganography by getting distorted visibly. The second primary factor is maximizing the data-carrying/embedding capacity, which makes the use of this technique more efficient. In this paper, we are proposing an image steganography tool by using Huffman Encoding and Particle Swarm Optimization, which will improve the performance of the information hiding scheme and improve overall efficiency. The combinational technique of Huffman PSO not only offers higher information embedment capabilities but also maintains the image quality. The experimental analysis and results on cover images along with different sizes of secret messages validate that the proposed HPSO scheme has superior results using parameters Peak-Signal-to-Noise-Ratio, Mean Square Error, Bit Error Rate, and Structural Similarity Index. It is also robust against statistical attacks.

Development and analysis of IWT-SVD and DWT-SVD steganography using fractal cover

The assurance of secret data transmitted over the Internet and confining its access to explicit grouped information has become a significant security and protection issue. To hide the presence of such information, a robust and blind color image steganography algorithm, using fractal cover images, Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), Integer Wavelet Transform (IWT), and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is proposed in this paper. The proposed algorithm conceals the color secret image intelligently inside a fractal cover image thus creating a unique stego-image that is virtually a replica of the original cover image. The novelty of this proposed blind image hiding method lies in the fact that a small file size of a unique fractal image can be used to conceal a large amount of information payload. The fractal cover images can be implemented without debasing its quality to make the shrouded information sufficiently strong against image processing attacks. The algorithm possesses features like robustness, imperceptibility, security, and greater hiding capacity due to the application of fractal compression, DWT-SVD, and IWT-SVD hybrid transform schemes. The secret image is inserted in U and V components of the fractal cover with a scaling factor based on the HVS model and a stego-image with sufficiently large keyspace is created. Furthermore, the proposed work compares the performance analysis and security offered by IWT- SVD and DWT- SVD hybrid combinations for different fractal covers using certain metrics like PSNR (Peak Signal to Noise Ratio), MSE (Mean Square Error), SSIM (Structural Similarity Index), BRISQUE (Blind/ Reference less Image Spatial Quality Evaluator) score and Bits per pixel (BPP). The results prove that image degradation is very less (less than 0.6%) in the proposed algorithm even when the secret image file size is more than double the file size of the fractal cover image which also saves the bandwidth and storage requirements.

Reversible data hiding method based on pixel expansion and homomorphic encryption

Digital image steganography algorithms usually suffer from a lossy restoration of the cover content after extraction of a secret message. When a cover object and confidential information are both utilised, the reversible property of the cover is inevitable. With this objective, several reversible data hiding (RDH) algorithms are available in the literature. Conversely, because both are diametrically related parameters, existing RDH algorithms focus on either a good embedding capacity (EC) or better stego-image quality. In this paper, a pixel expansion reversible data hiding (PE-RDH) method with a high EC and good stego-image quality are proposed. The proposed PE-RDH method was based on three typical RDH schemes, namely difference expansion, histogram shifting, and pixel value ordering. The PE-RDH method has an average EC of 0.75 bpp, with an average peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of 30.89 dB. It offers 100% recovery of the original image and confidential hidden messages. To protect secret as well as cover the proposed PE-RDH is also implemented on the encrypted image by using homomorphic encryption. The strength of the proposed method on the encrypted image was verified based on a comparison with several existing methods, and the approach achieved better results than these methods in terms of its EC, location map size and imperceptibility of directly decrypted images.

A secure controlled quantum image steganography algorithm

A novel controlled flexible representation for quantum image(CFRQI) is firstly proposed in this paper based on flexible representation for quantum image (FRQI). The proposed CFRQI is able to effectively help the sender control the whole process of information transmission for better information security. Next, a novel secure controlled quantum image steganography algorithm is proposed by making full use of controlled access mechanism that comes with CFRQI. Compared with the previous quantum steganography algorithms, the new algorithm can make the sender control whether the receiver is enabled to correctly receive secret information or not for better imperceptibility. And it also can achieve better security by introducing the controlled access mechanism as an identity authentication system without the need of auxiliary information. Good applicability of the new algorithm is proved by the quantum circuits of embedding and extracting processes that are designed to implement. Furthermore, the new algorithm can effectively resist the phase-damping and amplitude-damping noises in quantum channel through theoretical analysis. Finally, the simulation experiment results are presented to prove our conclusions.

Novel chaotic random memory indexing steganography on FPGA

Data security has been a major concern for all means of communication lately. As Steganography offers such a unique form of securing data, in this paper, two novel image steganography algorithms are proposed based on generalized chaotic maps. Only one chaotic map is employed in the first algorithm and used for one dimensional memory indexing, while two maps are employed in the second algorithm for two dimensional memory indexing. The pseudorandom numbers used for the cover image pixel’s position selection are the maps' iterative outputs. The generalization technique of logistic maps is employed adding extra degrees of freedom for the design of different chaotic behaviors, thus enhancing the security levels of the proposed algorithms. Four different image sets are employed for methods' validation. Several performance metrics such as Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), the Mean Squared Error (MSE), the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) and the Image Fidelity (IF) are employed to compare between both methods. The high efficiency of the proposed algorithms compared to other work in literature is validated. The hardware designs of the two algorithms are implemented on Xilinx Virtex 7 FPGA board, achieving 350 MHz frequency.

Adaptive Payload Distribution in Multiple Images Steganography Based on Image Texture Features

With the coming era of cloud technology, cloud storage is an emerging technology to store massive digital images, which provides steganography a new fashion to embed secret information into massive images. Specifically, a resourceful steganographer could embed a set of secret information into multiple images adaptively, and share these images in cloud storage with the receiver, instead of traditional single image steganography. Nevertheless, it is still an open issue how to allocate embedding payload among a sequence of images for security performance enhancement. This paper formulates adaptive payload distribution in multiple images steganography based on image texture features and provides the theoretical security analysis from the steganalyst's point of view. Two payload distribution strategies based on image texture complexity and distortion distribution are designed and discussed respectively. The proposed strategies can be employed together with these state-of-the-art single image steganographic algorithms. The comparisons of the security performance against the modern universal pooled steganalysis are given. Furthermore, this paper compares the per image detectability of these multiple images steganographic schemes against the modern single image steganalyzer. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed payload distribution strategies could obtain better security performance.

An Image Steganography Algorithm using Fractional Discrete Wavelet Transform with Advanced Encryption System

The research constitutes a distinctive technique of steganography of image. The procedure used for the study is Fractional Random Wavelet Transform (FRWT). The contrast between wavelet transform and the aforementioned FRWT is that it comprises of all the benefits and features of the wavelet transform but with additional highlights like randomness and partial fractional value put up into it. As a consequence of the fractional value and the randomness, the algorithm will give power and a rise in the surveillance layers for steganography. The stegano image will be acquired after administrating the algorithm which contains not only the coated image but also the concealed image. Despite the overlapping of two images, any diminution in the grade of the image is not perceived. Through this steganographic process, we endeavor for expansion in surveillance and magnitude as well. After running the algorithm, various variables like Mean Square Error (MSE) and Peak Signal to Noise ratio (PSNR) are deliberated. Through the intended algorithm, a rise in the power and imperceptibility is perceived and it can also support diverse modification such as scaling, translation and rotation with algorithms which previously prevailed. The irrefutable outcome demonstrated that the algorithm which is being suggested is indeed efficacious.

An embedding strategy on fusing multiple image features for data hiding in multiple images

Data hiding in multiple images has been a significant research direction in information security. How to reasonably design the embedding strategy to spread the payload among multiple images is still an open issue. In this paper, we propose an embedding strategy on fusing multiple features. We utilize the typical characteristic parameters of gray level co-occurrence matrix, the image entropy and the shape parameter to describe image complexity. Furthermore, we combine with the number of cover images, the number of cover images assigned to steganographer and the size of cover image to estimate the steganographic capacity of each image. The strategy is implemented together with some state-of-the-art single image steganographic algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate that the security performance of the proposed strategy is higher than that of the state-of-the-art embedding strategy against the blind universal pooled steganalysis.

A hybrid algorithm for robust image steganography

In this work, a novel hybrid algorithm has been developed for achieving imperceptible and robust image steganography for secure data communication. The novelty of the work lies in the careful manipulation of higher frequency coefficient of Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to maintain the perceptual quality of the image followed by embedding secret bits in the controlled DCT coefficients using random locations identified by deterministic Coupled Chaotic Map (CCM). The randomness of the CCM map is confirmed by National Institute of Standards and Technology, DIEHARD, ENT and TestU01 test suites. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique has excellent stego-image quality keeping zero Bit Error Rate at maximum embedding capacity (EC). The proposed method has capability to withstand against malicious users as well as outperforms existing steganography techniques in terms of EC, and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio. The security of the proposed technique is subsequently examined by the key length, key sensitivity parameter and histogram analysis.

Quantum image steganography algorithm based on modified exploiting modification direction embedding

A novel quantum steganography scheme is investigated based on efficient embedding algorithm of modified exploiting modification direction in this paper, which embeds two $$ 2^{n} \times 2^{n} $$ binary images (secret information) into a $$ 2^{n} \times 2^{n} $$ color image (carrier image). To improve the security of the secret information and enhance the robustness of the proposed scheme, a $$ 2^{n} \times 2^{n} $$ binary image (secret key) is generated according to the exclusive or operation of two secret images. The secret key acts as the control key of choosing two channels from the carrier image’s three channels of R, G and B (i.e., R, G or R, B channels chose as the pixel-group) to hide the secret information. In addition, the effective quantum circuits for investigated quantum steganography scheme are illustrated to better understanding the procedure of embedding algorithm. The experiment results simulated on the classical computer with MATLAB environment, and the numerical analyses demonstrate that the presented algorithm has good performance on imperceptibility and security.

A robust low frequency integer wavelet transform based fractal encryption algorithm for image steganography

Image steganography is one of the emerging research areas in the field of information technology. In today's scenario, steganography is widely utilised in communication systems that send secret information through appropriate carriers. In this scenario, the secret information that embeds in the cover image is secret image. The primary objective of this paper is to develop a high level secure transmission technique to transmit messages through lossless channel. In this paper, an effective transform domain image steganography approach is proposed by employing lower frequency integer wavelet transform (IWT) and fractal encryption with the combination of L-shaped tromino theorem for enhancing the performance of information hiding method. The proposed methodology: IWT-fractal encryption delivers the advantage of better embedding capacity with low computational complexity and also provides better secret image quality. Experimental outcome shows that the proposed approach improved peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) value up to 30 dB and entropy value up to 0.02-0.4 compared to the existing methods: genetic algorithm and discrete cosine transform (DCT)-Arnold transform. This experimental outcome confirms that the proposed technique delivers a high security level network with low computational complexity compared to other existing approaches.

A New Reversible Data Hiding Technique Combined with Interpolation and Pixel Value Differencing Method

Steganography is the popular security method that provides complete security for communicating secret details. Image steganography is a very interesting field because of the imperceptible way of hiding data in images, since small distortion in the images cannot be identified by a human eye. This is the main idea to develop image steganography algorithms to improve visual quality. Pixel Value Differencing is able to provide a high quality stego image in spite of the high capacity of the concealed information. This paper proposes the first the interpolation techniques with the pixel block then applying then the Pixel Value Differencing method. Here in the first phase the original image is portioned into 2X2 block then applying the nearest neighbour interpolation technique after that in the second phase PVD is used to embed the secret data. Then the new pixel value of the neighbouring pixel also calculated. In this paper one variant are proposed by using single range table. We observed that for both the variant PSNR value and the hiding capacity are increased.

A Multiple-Format Steganography Algorithm for Color Images

This paper presents an image Steganography algorithm that can work for cover images of multiple formats. Having a single algorithm for multiple image types provides several advantages. For example, we can apply uniform security policies across all image formats, we can adaptively select the most suitable cover image based on data length, network bandwidth and allowable distortions, etc. We present our algorithm based on the abstract concept of image components that can be adapted for JPEG, Bitmap, TIFF and PNG cover images. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed algorithm is the first Steganography algorithm that can work for multiple cover image formats. In addition, we have utilized concepts like capacity pre-estimation, adaptive partition schemes and data spreading to embed secret data with enhanced security. The proposed method is tested for robustness against Steganalysis with favorable results. Moreover, comparative results for the proposed algorithm are very promising for three different cover image formats.