An oblivious fragile watermarking scheme for images utilizing edge transitions in BTC bitmaps

As one of the famous block-based image coding schemes,block truncation coding(BTC) has been also applied in digital watermarking.Previous BTC-based watermarking or hiding schemes usually embed secret data by modifying the BTC encoding stage or BTC-compressed data,obtaining the watermarked image with poorer quality than the BTC-compressed version.This paper presents a new oblivious image watermarking scheme by exploiting BTC bitmaps.Unlike the traditional schemes,our approach does not really perform the BTC compression on images during the embedding process but utilizes the parity of the number of horizontal edge transitions in each BTC bitmap to guide the watermark embedding and extraction processes.The embedding process starts by partitioning the original cover image into non-overlapping 4×4 blocks and performing BTC on each block to obtain its BTC bitmap.One watermark bit is embedded in each block by modifying at most three pixel values in the block to make sure that the parity of the number of horizontal edge transitions in the bitmap of the modified block is equal to the embedded watermark bit.In the extraction stage,the suspicious image is first partitioned into non-overlapping 4×4 blocks and BTC is performed on each block to obtain its bitmap.Then,by checking the parity of the number of horizontal edge transitions in the bitmap,we can extract one watermark bit in each block.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed watermarking scheme is fragile to various image processing operations while keeping the transparency very well.     

A data embedding scheme for color images based on genetic algorithm and absolute moment block truncation coding

Recently, embedding a large amount of secret data into gray-level and color images with low distortion has become an important research issue in steganography. In this paper, we propose a data embedding scheme by using a well-known genetic algorithm, block truncation code and modification direction techniques to embed secret data into compression codes of color images to expand the variety of cover media. In the scheme, the common bitmap generation procedure of GA-AMBTC has been modified to speed up the hiding procedure. Two embedding strategies are proposed to hide secret data into the common bitmap and the quantization values in each block of the cover image. Experimental results confirm that the proposed scheme can provide high data capacity with acceptable image quality of the stego-images. Moreover, the compression ratio of the scheme is exactly the same as that of GA-AMBTC so that attackers cannot detect any trace of hidden data from the size of the modified compressed result.     

A secret sharing scheme for EBTC using steganography

In this paper, a new method based on Block Truncation Coding (BTC) and the halftoning technique is proposed for secret sharing of lossy compressed images. BTC is a simple and efficient image compression technique. However, it yields images of undesirable quality, and significant blocking effects are seen as the block size that is used increases. A modified method known as Enhanced Block Truncation Coding (EBTC) is proposed to solve these problems. For secret sharing, we propose a (2, 2) secret sharing scheme which provides authentication using DE scheme. This scheme was developed for data hiding with grayscale images, but our proposed EBTC uses bitmap images for which the DE scheme is not appropriate. We show the solution for such a problem. Moreover, we reduce the computation complexity for secret sharing using the DE algorithm because past schemes which used polynomial or interpolation algorithms require too much time for secret sharing. In addition, we show how to authenticate a cover image. Experimental results show that our proposed scheme provides secret sharing with proper authentication and acceptable computational complexity.     

A high quality and small shadow size visual secret sharing scheme based on hybrid strategy for grayscale images

Many secret sharing schemes for digital images have been developed in recent decades. Traditional schemes typically must deal with the problem of computational complexity, and other visual secret sharing schemes come with a higher transmission cost and storage cost; that is, each shadow size is m times as big as the original secret image. The new (2,n) secret sharing scheme for grayscale images proposed in this paper is based a combination of acceptable image quality using block truncation coding (BTC), high compression ratio discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and good subjective performance of the vector quantization (VQ) technique. Experimental results confirm that our proposed scheme not only generates a high quality reconstructed original image but also generates small, random-like grayscale shadows.     

Tamper detection and image recovery for BTC-compressed images

To ensure the integrity of images compressed using block truncation coding (BTC), a tamper detection and image recovery scheme is proposed in this paper. In this scheme, the size of the authentication data can be adaptively selected according to the user’s requirement. The authentication data is embedded in the value differences of the quantization levels in each BTC-compressed image block. Multiple copies of the recovery data are embedded into the bit maps of the smooth blocks. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme performs well in terms of detection precision and the embedded image quality. Meanwhile, the tampered areas can be roughly recovered by using the proposed scheme.     

The method for image retrieval based on multi-factors correlation utilizing block truncation coding

In this paper, we proposed multi-factors correlation (MFC) to describe the image, structure element correlation (SEC), gradient value correlation (GVC) and gradient direction correlation (GDC). At first, the RGB color space image is converted to a bitmap image and a mean color component image utilizing the block truncation coding (BTC). Then, three correlations will be used to extract the image feature. The structure elements can effectively represent the bitmap which is generated by BTC, and SEC can effectively denote the bitmap?s structure and the correlation of the block in the bitmap. GVC and GDC can effectively denote the gradient relation, which is computed by a mean color component image. Formed by SEC, GVC and GDC, the image feature vectors can effectively represent the image. In the end, the results demonstrate that the method has better performance than other image retrieval methods in the experiment.     

Separable reversible data hiding in encrypted images based on scalable blocks

This paper proposes a new separable reversible data hiding method for encrypted images. Proposed scheme employs the pixel redundancy of natural images to construct embedding space. First, cover image is divided into multiple blocks with different scales. According to the pixel average value of each block, the lowest two bits of every pixel are vacated as reserved rooms. Subsequently, the whole image is encrypted by using stream cipher and the secret messages are finally embedded into the reserved rooms by the embedding key. Proposed scheme is separable in the sense that the recipient can achieve different function by the following ways: (a) If the recipient has only decryption key, an approximation plaintext image containing the embedded information can be obtained. (b) If the recipient has only embedded key, secret messages can be extracted correctly. (c) If the recipient has both decryption key and embedded key, he can not only extract the secret messages, but recover the original cover image perfectly. Extensive experiments are performed to show that our proposed schemes outperform existing reversible data hiding schemes in terms of visual quality, embedding capacity and security performance, even if a large-scale image database is used.

     

基于矢量量化的高效BTC图像编码算法

作为一种有损图像编码技术,块截短编码算法（BTC）的计算量较少,速度快,有较好的信道容错力,重建图像质量较高。然而,标准BTC算法的主要缺点是其压缩比特率比其他基于块图像编码的算法（如变换编码和矢量量化）高。为了降低比特率,提出了几种有效的BTC算法,还提出了一种简单的查表算法对每块的BTC量化数据编码,另外还引入了矢量量化技术以减少对位平面编码的比特数。为了减少由改进算法引入的额外失真,在每种提出的算法中,采用最优阈值而不用平均值作为量化阈值。     

Encrypted separable reversible watermarking with authentication and error correction

Reversible Watermarking (RW) in encrypted images helps to reconstruct the original content and embedded data without distortion while protecting the owner’s privacy. The security and integrity of embedded data is very much demanding. In this paper, an efficient RW method is proposed that recovers the embedded data from the marked encrypted color palette images in the presence of attacks. In this method, embeddable color-triples are constructed by employing color partitioning. Next, the cryptographic SHA-256 hash and Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem (BCH) are applied over the secret information to ensure the authenticity and integrity. The hash authenticated secret data is embedded into the encrypted color palette image. The secret data is extracted using the separable color partitioning method and authenticated with cryptographic hash function. The proposed method has higher embedding capacity when compared to other relative schemes. The BCH codes helps to recover the secret data and cover image in the presence of noise and attacks.

     

A novel secret image sharing scheme in color images using small shadow images

Over the past several years, secret image sharing techniques have become another branch of the effort to prevent secret images from being eavesdropped on, in addition to traditional cryptography. Because smaller shadows can speed up the transmission of a secret color image, in this paper we combine Chang and Wu’s gradual search algorithm for a single bitmap BTC (GSBTC) and Shamir’s (k, n) threshold concept to propose a novel secret color image sharing scheme that generates smaller shadows. Experimental results confirm that the proposed scheme successfully reduces shadow size and that each shadow behaves as a random-like image that prevents leakage of information about the secret color image. Furthermore, the correlation between two vertically or horizontally adjacent pixels in each shadow is significantly less than those in a color secret image, and the presented scheme also achieves, on average, an NPCR = 0.414% and AUCI = 32.78%. Thus, with our scheme one-pixel difference could cause a significant difference in the corresponding shadows. Therefore, the security of the presented scheme is also confirmed.     

An invisible hybrid color image system using spread vector quantization neural networks with penalized FCM

In this paper, an invisible hybrid color image hiding scheme based on spread vector quantization (VQ) neural network with penalized fuzzy c-means (PFCM) clustering technology (named SPFNN) is proposed. The goal is to offer safe exchange of a color stego-image in the internet. In the proposed scheme, the secret color image is first compressed by a spread-unsupervised neural network with PFCM based on interpolative VQ (IVQ), then the block cipher Data Encryption Standard (DES) and the Rivest, Shamir and Adleman (RSA) algorithms are hired to provide the mechanism of a hybrid cryptosystem for secure communication and convenient environment in the internet. In the SPFNN, the penalized fuzzy clustering technology is embedded in a two-dimensional Hopfield neural network in order to generate optimal solutions for IVQ. Then we encrypted color IVQ indices and sorted the codebooks of secret color image information and embedded them into the frequency domain of the cover color image by the Hadamard transform (HT). Our proposed method has two benefits comparing with other data hiding techniques. One is the high security and convenience offered by the hybrid DES and RSA cryptosystems to exchange color image data in the internet. The other benefit is that excellent results can be obtained using our proposed color image compression scheme SPFNN method.     

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.     

结合视觉感知的BTC域高容量数据隐藏方案

现有BTC域数据隐藏算法没有充分利用图像视觉感知特性,不能获得高的隐藏容量与隐秘图像质量。为此,通过充分挖掘图像BTC域视觉感知特性,提出一种BTC域自适应数据隐藏算法。算法利用BTC域亮度特性与边缘特性,计算出图像BTC域视觉因子;根据视觉因子将秘密信息自适应地嵌入到BTC域位示图中。实验表明该算法能较好地实现隐藏容量与隐秘图像质量之间的有效平衡。与同类BTC域隐藏算法相比,隐藏容量相同时,本文算法隐秘图像PSNR值高出约1.4 dB。     

Reversible data hiding for high quality images exploiting interpolation and direction order mechanism

Reversible data hiding can restore the original image from the stego image without any distortion after the embedded secret message is exactly extracted. In this paper, a novel, reversible, data hiding scheme for high quality images is proposed in spatial domain. To increase embedding capacity and enhance image quality, the proposed scheme classifies all pixels as wall pixels and non-wall pixels. For wall pixel, the interpolation error is used to embed secret data over the interpolation prediction method. In contrast, the difference value between the non-wall pixel and its parent pixel, which is defined by the direction order, is computed to hide secret data based on the histogram shifting. The experimental results demonstrate that our scheme provides a larger payload and a better image quality than some existing schemes. Moreover, the performance of the proposed scheme is more stable for different images.     

基于自适应哈夫曼编码的密文可逆信息隐藏算法

随着云存储和隐私保护的发展,密文域可逆信息隐藏作为一种可以在密文中嵌入秘密信息,保证嵌入后的信息可以无错误提取,并能无损恢复原始明文图像的技术,越来越受到人们的关注.本文提出了一种基于自适应哈夫曼编码的密文域可逆信息隐藏算法,对不同的图像采用不同的哈夫曼码字编码腾出空间来嵌入秘密信息.首先利用自然图像相邻像素间的相关性对原始明文图像进行像素值预测,从最高有效位到最低有效位,对原始像素值和预测像素值的相同比特位进行自适应的哈夫曼编码标记.然后,利用流密码对原始明文图像进行加密.最后在腾出的空间,通过位替换来自适应的嵌入秘密信息.由于哈夫曼编码和解码的可逆性,合法接收者可以对原始明文图像和秘密信息实现分离的无损恢复和提取.实验结果表明,与现有的几种方法相比,本文提出的方法具有更好的安全性和更高的嵌入率,在BOSSBase、BOWS-2和UCID三个数据集上的平均嵌入率比MPHC算法分别提高了0.09bpp、0.062 bpp和0.06bpp,在最佳情况下比MPHC算法能分别高出0.958 bpp、0.797 bpp和0.320 bpp,最差情况下的嵌入率比MPHC算法也分别高出了 0.01 bpp、0.039 bpp和0.061 bpp.     

An efficient data hiding method based on adaptive directional pixel value differencing (ADPVD)

Steganography is an important secret information communication technology in which one may send messages without others having knowledge of their existence. This paper proposes a new adaptive steganography method for color images using adaptive directional pixel-value differencing (ADPVD). The proposed method increases the capacity of the hidden secret data and improves the security of the stego-color image as well. The hiding capacity of the original PVD method is investigated by considering three directional edges: horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions using color cover image. The cover image is partitioned into 2-pixel blocks in a non-overlapping fashion and scanned in raster-scan order in all three directions. The proposed method adaptively selects the appropriate embedding directions for each color channel according to the largest embedding capacity. The security is improved since different pixel directions are employed adaptively to embed different number of message bits in each color channel. The experimental results show that the proposed method provides both larger embedding capacity and better visual quality of the stego color image compared with other PVD-based algorithms.     

Watermarking of digital images in frequency domain

Invisible watermarking methods have been applied in frequency domains, trying to embed a small image inside a large original image. The original bitmap image will be converted into frequency domain to obtain the discrete cosine transform (DCT) matrices from its blocks. The bits of the logo image are embedded in random color components of the original image, as well as in random positions in each selected block. These positions are alternating current (AC) coefficients of the DCT matrix. The randomness is obtained from RC4 pseudorandom bit generator that determines in which color component this logo image bits will be embedded. The embedded bits have been hidden in random blocks in the image, which are chosen according to a (semi-random) function proposed in this work.     

一种自适应彩色数字图像盲隐藏方法

提出了一种将24位真彩色图像隐藏于另一幅24位真彩色图像的新方法。该方法采用硬c均值聚类及多分辨率彩色量化技术，实现了彩色图像的自适应盲隐藏。它具有隐藏信息量大、恢复图像的误差小及使用方便的特点，对常见的图像处理与攻击具有一定的抵抗能力。另外，通过超混沌的置乱技术，使隐藏到载体图像中的数据有非常好的伪随机特征，具有很高的安全性。该方法在PC机上实验，得到较好的实验结果。     

An encoding method for both image compression and data lossless information hiding

Reversible image data hiding technology means the cover image can be totally recovered after the embedded secret data is extracted. In this paper, we propose a reversible image data hiding scheme based on vector quantization (VQ) compressed images. The secret bits are embedded into the VQ index table by modifying the index value according to the difference of neighboring indices. The data hiding capacity and the size of the final codestream (embedded result) are a trade-off, and it can be decided by users. In other words, the proposed scheme has flexible hiding capacity ability. To estimate the performance, the proposed scheme was compared with the scheme proposed by Wang and Lu (2009). The results of the comparison showed that our proposed scheme is superior to the scheme proposed by Wang and Lu in both data hiding capacity and bit rate.     

基于密文医学图像的可逆信息隐藏算法

针对现有算法嵌入容量低以及应用于医学图像时效果不稳定的问题,提出一种基于斜线分组和梯度算子的密文医学图像的可逆信息隐藏算法。算法利用按位异或操作对医学图像加密,接着对密文图像分块,每块再斜线分为4组,根据待嵌入2比特信息翻转对应像素组的最低3位有效位（3LSBs）。接收端先解密图像,然后根据信息隐藏密钥和梯度算子恢复原始图像并提取信息。实验结果显示,算法能无损地恢复原始医学图像,准确地提取嵌入信息,在分块大小相同的情况下,有更好的嵌入容量,更高的PSNR值和更低的信息提取错误率。