Securing identity information with image watermarks

In this paper, we describe the requirements for embedding watermarks in images used for identity verification and demonstrate a proof of concept in security sciences. The watermarking application is designed for verifying the rightful ownership of a driving license or similar identity object. The tool we built and tested embeds and extracts watermarks that contain verification information of the rightful owner. We used the human finger print of the rightful owner as the watermark. Such information protection mechanisms add an extra layer of security to the information system and improve verification of identification attributes by providing strong security. The issues of usability and cost are also discussed in the context of the social acceptability of access controls

Nested Quantization Index Modulation for Reversible Watermarking and Its Application to Healthcare Information Management Systems

Digital watermarking has attracted lots of researches to healthcare information management systems for access control, patients' data protection, and information retrieval. The well-known quantization index modulation-(QIM-) based watermarking has its limitations as the host image will be destroyed; however, the recovery of medical images is essential to avoid misdiagnosis. In this paper, we propose the nested QIM-based watermarking, which is preferable to the QIM-based watermarking for the medical image applications. As the host image can be exactly reconstructed by the nested QIM-based watermarking. The capacity of the embedded watermark can be increased by taking advantage of the proposed nest structure. The algorithm and mathematical model of the nested QIM-based watermarking including forward and inverse model is presented. Due to algorithms and architectures of forward and inverse nested QIM, the concurrent programs and special processors for the nested QIM-based watermarking are easily implemented

New Watermarking/Encryption Method for Medical Imaging FULL Protection in m-Health

In this paper, we present a new method for medical images security dedicated to m-Health based on a combination between a novel semi reversible watermarking approach robust to JPEG compression, a new proposed fragile watermarking and a new proposed encryption algorithm. The purpose of the combination of these three proposed algorithms (encryption, robust and fragile watermarking) is to ensure the full protection of medical image, its information and its report in terms of confidentiality and reliability (authentication and integrity). A hardware implementation to evaluate our system is done using the Texas instrument C6416 DSK card by converting m-files to C/C++ using MATLAB coder. Our m-health security system is then run on the android platform. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve high security with good performance

A novel image authenticationand rightful ownership detection framework based on DWT watermarking in cloud environment

Cloud computing has been highlighted by many organizations because of its benefits to use it anywhere. Efficiency, Easy access information, quick deployment, and a huge reduce of cost of using it, are some of the cloud advantages. While cost reduction is one of the great benefits of cloud, privacy protection of the users‘ data is also a significant issue of the cloud that cloud providers have to consider about. This is a vital component of the cloud‘s critical infrastructure. Cloud users use this environment to enable numerous online transactions crossways a widespread range of sectors and to exchange information. Especially, misuse of the users‘ data and private information are some of the important problems of using cloud environment. Cloud untrustworthy environment is a good area for hackers to steal user‘s stored data by Phishing and Pharming techniques. Therefore, cloud vendors should utilize easy- to-use, secure, and efficient environment. Besides they should prepare a way to access cloud services that promote data privacy and ownership protection. The more data privacy and ownership protection in cloud environment, the more users will attract to use this environment to put their important private data. In this study, a rightful ownership detection framework has been proposed to mitigate the ownership protection in cloud environment. Best methods for data privacy protection such as image authentication methods, watermarking methods and cryptographic methods, for mitigating the ownership protection problem to use in cloud environment, have been explored. Finally, efficiency and reliability of the proposed framework have been evaluated and analyzed

Paperless Transfer of Medical Images: Storing Patient Data in Medical Images

Medical images have become an integral part ofpatient diagnosis in recent years. With the introduction of HealthInformation Management Systems (HIMS) used for the storageand sharing of patient data, as well as the use of the PictureArchiving and Communication Systems (PACS) formanipulating and storage of CT Scans, X-rays, MRIs and othermedical images, the security of patient data has become a seriousconcern for medical professionals. The secure transfer of theseimages along with patient data is necessary for maintainingconfidentiality as required by the Data Protection Act, 2011 inTrinidad and Tobago and similar legislation worldwide. Tofacilitate this secure transfer, different digital watermarking andsteganography techniques have been proposed to safely hideinformation in these digital images. This paper focuses on theamount of data that can be embedded into typical medical imageswithout compromising visual quality. In addition, ExploitingModification Direction (EMD) is selected as the method of choicefor hiding information in medical images and it is compared tothe commonly used Least Significant Bit (LSB) method.Preliminary results show that by using EMD there little to nodistortion even at the highest embedding capacity

Using Design Science to Build a Watermark System for Cloud Rightful Ownership Protection

Cloud computing opportunities have presented service options for users that are both economical and flexible to use requirements. However, the risk analysis for the user identifies vulnerabilities for intellectual property ownership and vulnerabilities for the identification of rightful property owners when cloud services are used. It is common for image owners to embed watermarks and other security mechanisms into their property so that the rightful ownership may be identified. In this paper we present a design that overcomes many of the current limitations in cloud watermarking uses; and propose a schema that places responsibility on the cloud provider to have a robust information protection program. Such a design solution lays out an information security architecture that enhances utility for cloud services and gives better options for users to securely place properties in the cloud. The Design Science methodology is used to build the artefact and answer the research question: How can rightful ownership be protected in the Cloud

MP3 audio steganography technique using extended least significant bit

Audio Steganography is the process of concealing secret messages into audio file. The goal for using audio steganography is to avoid drawing suspicion to the transmission of the secret message. Prior research studies have indicated that the main properties in steganography technique are imperceptibility, robustness and capacity. MP3 file is a popular audio media, which provides different compression rate and performing steganography in MP3 format after compression is the most desirable one. To date, there is not much research work that embeds messages after compression. An audio steganographic technique that utilizes Standard Least Significant Bits (SLSB) of the audio stream to embed secret message has gained popularity over the years. Unfortunately the technique suffers from imperceptibility, security and capacity. This research offers an extended Least Significant Bit (XLSB) technique in order to circumvent the weakness. The secret message is scrambled before embedding. Scrambling technique is introduced in two steps; partitioning the secret message (speech) into blocks followed by block permutation, in order to confuse the contents of the secret message. To enhance difficulty for attackers to retrieve the secret message, the message is not embedded in every byte of the audio file. Instead the first position of embedding bit is chosen randomly and the rest of the bits are embedded only in even value of bytes of the audio file. For extracting the secret message, the permutation code book is used to reorder the message blocks into its original form. Md5sum and SHA-256 are used to verify whether the secret message is altered or not during transmission. Experimental results measured by peak signal to noise ratio, bit error rate, Pearson Correlation and chi-square show that the XLSB performs better than SLSB. Moreover, XLSB can embed a maximum of 750KB into MP3 file with 30db average result. This research contributes to the information security community by providing more secure steganography technique which provides message confidentiality and integrity

Image steganography applications for secure communication

To securely communicate information between parties or locations is not an easy task considering the possible attacks or unintentional changes that can occur during communication. Encryption is often used to protect secret information from unauthorised access. Encryption, however, is not inconspicuous and the observable exchange of encrypted information between two parties can provide a potential attacker with information on the sender and receiver(s). The presence of encrypted information can also entice a potential attacker to launch an attack on the secure communication. This dissertation investigates and discusses the use of image steganography, a technology for hiding information in other information, to facilitate secure communication. Secure communication is divided into three categories: self-communication, one-to-one communication and one-to-many communication, depending on the number of receivers. In this dissertation, applications that make use of image steganography are implemented for each of the secure communication categories. For self-communication, image steganography is used to hide one-time passwords (OTPs) in images that are stored on a mobile device. For one-to-one communication, a decryptor program that forms part of an encryption protocol is embedded in an image using image steganography and for one-to-many communication, a secret message is divided into pieces and different pieces are embedded in different images. The image steganography applications for each of the secure communication categories are discussed along with the advantages and disadvantages that the applications have over more conventional secure communication technologies. An additional image steganography application is proposed that determines whether information is modified during communication. CopyrightDissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Computer Scienceunrestricte