Quadruple Difference Expansion-Based Reversible Data Hiding Method for Digital Images

ABSTRACT

Lossless data hiding is a special type of data hiding technique that guarantees not only the secret data but also the ability of cover media to be reconstructed without any distortion. A latest lossless data hiding technique is proposed by Hong Lin Jin's that is based on hiding only one data bit in the spatial domain in gray-level image. However, this method uses double difference expansion to embed bits which results in a small embedding capacity. For this purpose, we propose an improved algorithm with the potential of increasing the payload capacity and maintaining good image quality. The proposed improved algorithm is characterized by two aspects. First, the proposed improved reversible data hiding scheme is enhanced to exhibit data hiding in color palette images. Second, the embedding level is improved by using quadruple difference expansion to guarantee the embedding of 2-bit data into color images. Experiments of the proposed improved method have been conducted over several well-known test images. The results show that the proposed improved method significantly improves the embedding capacity over Hong Lin Jin's scheme by the range of 15–35% for grayscale images and 20–46% for color images while still maintaining the quality of the stego-images.     

A lossless data embedding technique by joint neighboring coding

Information hiding methods are currently exploited by many researchers for various applications. Proposing an efficient and feasible information hiding method is valuable. This paper presents a new reversible information hiding method for vector quantization (VQ)-compressed grayscale images by using joint neighboring coding (JNC) technique. The proposed method embeds secret data by using the difference values between the current VQ-compressed index and left or upper neighboring indices. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves the best visual quality of reconstructed images compared with the two related works. In addition, the proposed method obtains as high embedding capacity as Lin and Chang's method, followed by Yang et al.'s method. As for execution speed, Yang et al.'s method is fastest, followed by the proposed method, and then Lin and Chang's method. With respect to bit rate, the proposed method has a little higher bit rate in comparison with the two related works.     

一种DCT域稳健的彩色图像隐藏方法*

基于YCbCr色彩系统,提出了一种稳健的DCT域彩色图像隐藏方法,可以将一幅彩色图像隐藏在另一幅公开的彩色载体图像中,并与JPEG压缩标准相兼容。在嵌入过程中,通过对彩色图像各分量值进行合理分配和标志性嵌入,可以有效地克服DCT域秘密图像提取时的严重失真问题;并根据HVS特征和模糊理论对DCT图像块进行模糊分类,实现嵌入强度的自适应变化。实验结果表明,提出的方法对嵌入过程中产生的噪声具有很强的稳健性,恢复的秘密图像的像素值最大失真误差在±1之内,在保证隐秘图像视觉质量的前提下,载体图像具有较大的数据隐藏量。     

High capacity reversible data hiding scheme based upon discrete cosine transformation

In this paper, we propose a reversible data hiding scheme based on the varieties of coefficients of discrete cosine transformation of an image. Cover images are decomposed into several different frequencies, and the high-frequency parts are embedded with secret data. We use integer mapping to implement our 2-dimensional discrete cosine transformation. Thus, the image recovered from the modified coefficients can be transformed back to the correct data-hidden coefficients. Since the distribution of 2-dimensional DCT coefficients looks close to Gaussian distribution centralized at zero, it is a natural candidate for embedding secret data using the histogram shifting approach. Thus, our approach shifts the positive coefficients around zero to the right and the negative coefficients around zero to the left in order to leave a space to hide the secret data. The experimental comparisons show that, compared to Chang et al. and Lin et al.'s method, the embedding capacity and quality of the stego-image of the proposed method is a great improvement.     

基于四边边缘匹配的图像信息隐秘法

将人眼的视觉特性和图像信息隐藏技术结合,文章提出了基于HVS特性的信息隐秘方法,设计实现了一种基于四边边缘匹配的自适应信息隐秘算法,利用嵌入信息像素相邻的四个像素信息估计嵌入容量,依据载体图像局部的不同特性自适应地隐藏秘密信息.实验结果表明,这种方法比最低有效位算法嵌入容量大,而且不会产生易觉察的失真.此外,隐蔽图像中嵌入数据的提取与原始图像无关.同时,采用伪随机机制的图像遍历顺序,提高了信息的隐蔽性.     

A steganographic method based upon JPEG and particle swarm optimization algorithm

In this paper, a novel steganographic method, based on JPEG and Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO), is proposed. In order to improve the quality of stego-images, an optimal substitution matrix for transforming the secret messages is first derived by means of the PSO algorithm. The standard JPEG quantization table is also modified to contain more secret messages. The transformed messages are then hidden in the DC-to-middle frequency components of the quantized DCT coefficients of the cover-image. Finally, a JPEG file with secret messages is generated through JPEG entropy coding. We compare our algorithm with Chang et al.’s JPEG-based steganographic algorithm. The experimental results show that our proposed method has larger message capacity and better image quality than Chang et al.’s. In addition, our method also has a high security level.     

Color local complexity estimation based steganographic (CLCES) method

In this paper we present the color local complexity estimation based steganographic (CLCES) method that is able of both preventing visual degradation and providing a large embedding capacity. A preprocessing stage is applied in the proposed scheme to improve the steganography security. The embedding capacity of each pixel is determined by the local complexity of the cover image, allowing good visual quality as well as embedding a large amount of secret messages. We classify the pixels using a threshold based on the standard deviation of the local complexity in the cover image to provide a compromise between the embedding capacity and the image visual quality. The experimental results demonstrated that the algorithm CLCES proposed produces insignificant visual distortion due to the hidden message. It provides a high embedding capacity that is superior respect to the offered by the existing schemes. The proposed method is a secure steganographic algorithm; it can resist the image quality measures (IQM) steganalysis attack. The RGB, YCbCr, and HSV color spaces are incorporated in the proposed scheme to ensure that the difference between the cover image and the stego-image which is indistinguishable by the human visual system (HVS). Finally, the proposed scheme is simple, efficient, and feasible for the adaptive steganographic applications.     

Reversible steganography based on side match and hit pattern for VQ-compressed images

Data hiding is an important technique in multimedia security. Multimedia data hiding techniques enable message senders to disguise secret data by embedding them into cover media. Thus, delivering secret messages is as easy as sending the cover media. Recently, many researchers have studied reversible data hiding for images. Those methods can reconstruct the original cover image and extract the embedded secret data from a stego-image. This study proposes a novel reversible steganographic method of embedding secret data into a vector quantization (VQ) compressed image by applying the concept of side match. The proposed method uses extra information, namely the hit pattern, to achieve reversibility. Moreover, its small hit pattern enables the embedding of the entire hit pattern along with the secret data in most cases. To optimize visual quality of the output stego-image, the method applies the concept of partitioned codebooks (state codebooks). The partition operation on the codebook uses a look-up table to minimize embedding and extraction time. We also propose the use of diagonal seed blocks to embed the entire hit pattern into the cover image without producing any extra control messages. Compared to the Chang and Lin method, the experimental results show that the proposed method has higher capacity, better visual quality, and shorter execution time.     

Data hiding based on extended turtle shell matrix construction method

Data hiding research has focused mainly on determining how to embed secret data into various public host media, and to also ensure the host medium is not changed to a degree such that it can be perceived by the human eye. In 2014, Chang et al. proposed a novel concept, named the turtle shell matrix, to embed secret data. This scheme has obvious advantages with respect to its hiding capacity and image quality. However, its disadvantage is lack of flexibility due to the fixed turtle shell matrix structure. In this paper, we extend this turtle shell matrix structure into a different matrix model to meet different hiding capacity and image quality needs. Meanwhile, a general extraction function is derived to generate a matrix having a different turtle shell model. The values of the pixel pairs in the cover image are modified according to guidance provided by the turtle shell to hide a secret digit in an N-ary notational system. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme not only has better flexibility in balancing the trade-off between hiding capacity and stego-image quality, but also provides higher hiding capacity and stego-images with better visual quality than previous schemes.     

Hiding secret data in images via predictive coding

This paper presents a prediction-based image-hiding scheme that embeds secret data into compression codes during image compression. This scheme employs a two-stage structure: a prediction stage and an entropy coding stage. The secret data is embedded into the difference values of a given image after the prediction stage is performed.According to the experimental results, the image quality is better than Jpeg-Jsteg and its improved scheme (Inform. Sci. 141 (1-2) (2002) 123). The average image quality of the stego-images in the proposed scheme is greater than 50 dB when the hiding capacity is 1 bit per pixel, whereas those values in Jpeg-Jsteg and scheme in Chang et al. (Inform. Sci. 141 (1-2) (2002) 123) are 37.04 and 33.73 dB, respectively. The hiding capacity of the proposed scheme is 65,536 bits when the hiding capacity is 1 bit per pixel, whereas it is 53,248 bits in scheme (Inform. Sci. 141 (1-2) (2002) 123) and less than 3000 bits in Jpeg-Jsteg.     

Improved Dual-image Quality with Reversible Data Hiding Using Translocation and Switching Strategy

Dual-image reversible data hiding (RDH) is a technique for hiding important messages. This technology can be used to safely deliver secret messages to the recipient through dual images in an open network without being easily noticed. The recipient of the image must receive the two stego-images before the secret message can be completely retrieved. Imperceptibility is one of the main advantages of data hiding technology; to increase the imperceptibility, the quality requirements of the stego-images are relatively important. A dual steganographic image RDH method, called a DS-CF scheme that can achieve a better steganographic image quality using the center folding (CF) strategy. In this paper, we developed a translocation and switching strategy (TaS) to shorten the distances between the stego-pixel coordinates and the cover pixel coordinates after information being hidden. Compared with the DS-CF scheme, our proposed DS-TaS scheme can effectively improve the quality of the steganographic images at the same level of embedding capability. The experimental results show that the PSNR of our DS-TaS scheme at = 1 was 55.66 dB, which is an increase of 1.5 dB, and is 51.43 dB for = 2, 46.66 dB for = 3, and 40.91 dB for = 4. In addition, the PSNR values of the stego images was increased by 1.5, 0.29, 0.29, and 0.19 dB, respectively. This shows that our proposed dual-image RDH method can optimize the visual quality of the stego-images and is better than many other dual-image RDH techniques.     

High-capacity image hiding scheme based on vector quantization

A novel grayscale image hiding scheme that is capable of hiding multiple secret images into a host image of the same size is proposed in this paper. The secret images to be hidden are first compressed by vector quantization with additional index compression process. Then, the compressed secret images are encrypted and embedded into the least-significant bits of the host pixels. To provide good image quality of the stego-image, the modulus function and the image property are employed to hide the secret bits into the host pixels and determine the number of hidden bits in each host pixel, respectively. According to the results, the proposed scheme provides a higher hiding capacity and a higher degree of security than that of the virtual image cryptosystem.     

一种基于LSB和PVD的图像信息隐藏方法研究

为了提高图像中秘密信息的嵌入量,提出并实现了一种基于最低有效位和像素值差异的图像信息隐藏方法。通过计算两个连续像素值的差异来判断图像的一致区域和边界区域,在一致区域使用最低有效位方法,而在边界区域使用像素值差异方法。实验结果表明,结合这两种方法后信息的嵌入量是单纯使用像素值差异方法的1.59～1.97倍,并且隐写图像具有大于38 dB的峰值信噪比,保证了隐写图像的视觉质量。     

A high quality image sharing with steganography and adaptive authentication scheme

With the rapid growth of numerous multimedia applications and communications through Internet, secret image sharing has been becoming a key technology for digital images in secured storage and confidential transmission. However, the stego-images are obtained by directly replacing the least-significant-bit planes (LSB) of cover-images with secret data and authentication code in most schemes, which will result in the distortion of the stego-images. In this paper, we proposed a novel secret image sharing scheme by applying optimal pixel adjustment process to enhance the image quality under different payload capacity and various authentication bits conditions. The experimental results showed that the proposed scheme has improved the image quality of stego images by 4.71%, 9.29%, and 11.10%, as compared with the schemes recently proposed by Yang et al., Chang et al., and Lin and Tsai. We also provide several experiments to demonstrate the efficacy of authentication capability of the proposed scheme. In other words, our scheme maintains the secret image sharing and authentication ability while enhances the image quality.     

LSB based non blind predictive edge adaptive image steganography

Image steganography is the art of hiding secret message in grayscale or color images. Easy detection of secret message for any state-of-art image steganography can break the stego system. To prevent the breakdown of the stego system data is embedded in the selected area of an image which reduces the probability of detection. Most of the existing adaptive image steganography techniques achieve low embedding capacity. In this paper a high capacity Predictive Edge Adaptive image steganography technique is proposed where selective area of cover image is predicted using Modified Median Edge Detector (MMED) predictor to embed the binary payload (data). The cover image used to embed the payload is a grayscale image. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme achieves better embedding capacity with minimum level of distortion and higher level of security. The proposed scheme is compared with the existing image steganography schemes. Results show that the proposed scheme achieves better embedding rate with lower level of distortion.     

Adaptive (<Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis><Subscript>1</Subscript>) interpolation-based hiding scheme

In 2012, Lee et al. proposed an interpolation technique with neighboring pixels (INP) as the base to conceal secret information in predicted pixels. Their method can effectively predict the pixel between two neighboring pixels. However, the different lengths of secret messages caused great distortion when a large secret message was concealed in the predicted value. Therefore, the proposed scheme applies the center folding strategy to fold the secret message for reducing image distortion. Furthermore, the proposed scheme references the variance of the neighboring pixel to determine the length of the secret message for controlling image quality. The parameter pair (k, F ₁) is used to categorize the variance and determine the size of the secret message hidden in each category. k is the total number of thresholds which computed based on the characteristics of each image for balancing hiding payload and image quality. F ₁ is the length of the secret message for the smoothest area. The experimental results show that the embedding capacity of the proposed method is 1.5 bpp higher than that of existing methods. For the same hiding payload, the image quality of the proposed method is 1.6 dB higher than that of existing methods.     

A high stego-image quality steganographic scheme with reversibility and high payload using multiple embedding strategy

Tian’s method is a breakthrough reversible data embedding scheme with high embedding capacity measured by bits per pixel (bpp) and good visual quality measured by peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). However, the embedding capacity and visual quality of this method can be significantly improved. Thus, we propose a simple reversible steganographic scheme in spatial domain for digital images by using the multiple embedding strategy. The proposed method horizontally and vertically embeds one secret bit into one cover pixel pair. The experimental results show that the proposed reversible steganographic method achieves good visual quality and high embedding capacity. Specifically, with the one-layer embedding, the proposed method can obtain the embedding capacity of more than 0.5 bpp and the PSNR value greater than 54 dB for all test images. Especially, with the five-layer embedding, the proposed method has the embedding capacity of more than 2 bpp and the PSNR value higher than 52 dB for all test images. Therefore, the proposed method surpasses many existing reversible data embedding methods in terms of visual quality and embedding capacity.     

Data hiding based on overlapped pixels using hamming code

Most data hiding schemes change the least significant bits to conceal messages in the cover images. Matrix encoding scheme is a well known scheme in this field. The matrix encoding proposed by Crandall can be used in steganographic data hiding methods. Hamming codes are kinds of cover codes. “Hamming + 1” proposed by Zhang et al. is an improved version of matrix encoding steganography. The embedding efficiency of “Hamming + 1” is very high for data hiding, but the embedding rate is low. Our proposed “Hamming + 3” scheme has a slightly reduced embedding efficiency, but improve the embedding rate and image quality. “Hamming + 3” is applied to overlapped blocks, which are composed of 2^k+3 pixels, where k=3. We therefore propose verifying the embedding rate during the embedding and extracting phases. Experimental results show that the reconstructed secret messages are the same as the original secret message, and the proposed scheme exhibits a good embedding rate compared to those of previous schemes.     

A reversible data hiding scheme using complementary embedding strategy

Obtaining good visual quality and high hiding capacity with reversible data hiding systems is a technically challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a simple reversible data hiding scheme that uses a complementary hiding strategy. The proposed method embeds one secret bit horizontally and vertically into one cover pixel of a grayscale cover image by decreasing odd-valued pixels and increasing even-valued pixels by one. Experimental results show that the hiding capacity measured by bit per pixel (bpp) of the proposed scheme is at least 1.21 bpp with a PSNR (peak signal-to-noise ratio) value greater than 52 dB for all standard test images. Especially in the case of four-layer embedding, the PSNR value of the proposed method is still greater than 51 dB at a hiding capacity of about 5 bpp for all standard test images. In addition, the proposed method is quite simple because it primarily uses additions and subtractions. These results indicate that the proposed scheme is superior to many existing reversible data hiding schemes introduced in the literature.     

Lossless data hiding for absolute moment block truncation coding using histogram modification

This paper presents a lossless data hiding method for an absolute moment block truncation coding (AMBTC) images, which is a compressed grayscale image. It is not easy to hide secret data in an AMBTC-compressed image because it is composed of bit planes. Thus, it is very sensitive to change some pixels. Nevertheless, to improve the hiding capacity, we present an efficient extension of the histogram modification technique by counting the coefficients of the bit planes in each 4 × 4 block. In addition, our proposed scheme has low complexity and achieves a high embedding capacity with the good perceptual quality compared to the prior arts. In an experiment, we verified our proposed data hiding scheme through the comparison with previous methods.