Micro protocol engineering for unstructured carriers: On the embedding of steganographic control protocols into audio transmissions

Network steganography conceals the transfer of sensitive information within unobtrusive data in computer networks. So-called micro protocols are communication protocols placed within the payload of a network steganographic transfer. They enrich this transfer with features such as reliability, dynamic overlay routing, or performance optimization --- just to mention a few. We present different design approaches for the embedding of hidden channels with micro protocols in digitized audio signals under consideration of different requirements. On the basis of experimental results, our design approaches are compared, and introduced into a protocol engineering approach for micro protocols.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, 4 table

Security of Streaming Media Communications with Logistic Map and Self-Adaptive Detection-Based Steganography

Voice over IP (VoIP) is finding its way into several applications, but its security concerns still remain. This paper shows how a new self-adaptive steganographic method can ensure the security of covert VoIP communications over the Internet. In this study an Active Voice Period Detection algorithm is devised for PCM codec to detect whether a VoIP packet carries active or inactive voice data, and the data embedding location in a VoIP stream is chosen randomly according to random sequences generated from a logistic chaotic map. The initial parameters of the chaotic map and the selection of where to embed the message are negotiated between the communicating parties. Steganography experiments on active and inactive voice periods were carried out using a VoIP communications system. Performance evaluation and security analysis indicates that the proposed VoIP steganographic scheme can withstand statistical detection, and achieve secure real-time covert communications with high speech quality and negligible signal distortion

Universal steganography model for low bit-rate speech codec

Low bit-rate speech codec offers so many advantages over other codecs that it has become increasingly popular in audio communications such as mobile and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) communications, and thus researching steganography in low bit-rate speech codec is of important significance. In this study, we proposed a universal VoIP steganography model for low bit-rate speech codec that uses the PESQ deterioration rate and the decoding error to automatically choose a data embedding algorithm for each VoIP bitstream, which enables ones to achieve covert communications using a low bit-rate speech codec efficiently and securely. Since no or little attention has been paid to steganography in iSAC (Internet Speech Audio Codec), it was chosen as the test codec to verify the effectiveness, security, and practicability of the proposed steganography model. The experimental results show that, with the proposed steganography model, it achieved the average PESQ deterioration rate of 4.04% (less than 5%, indicating strong imperceptibility) and a high data hiding capacity up to 12 bits/frame (400 bits/second, three times larger than other methods), and the proposed steganography model could effectively resist the latest steganalysis

Secure covert communications over streaming media using dynamic steganography

Streaming technologies such as VoIP are widely embedded into commercial and industrial applications, so it is imperative to address data security issues before the problems get really serious. This thesis describes a theoretical and experimental investigation of secure covert communications over streaming media using dynamic steganography. A covert VoIP communications system was developed in C++ to enable the implementation of the work being carried out. A new information theoretical model of secure covert communications over streaming media was constructed to depict the security scenarios in streaming media-based steganographic systems with passive attacks. The model involves a stochastic process that models an information source for covert VoIP communications and the theory of hypothesis testing that analyses the adversary‘s detection performance. The potential of hardware-based true random key generation and chaotic interval selection for innovative applications in covert VoIP communications was explored. Using the read time stamp counter of CPU as an entropy source was designed to generate true random numbers as secret keys for streaming media steganography. A novel interval selection algorithm was devised to choose randomly data embedding locations in VoIP streams using random sequences generated from achaotic process. A dynamic key updating and transmission based steganographic algorithm that includes a one-way cryptographical accumulator integrated into dynamic key exchange for covert VoIP communications, was devised to provide secure key exchange for covert communications over streaming media. The discrete logarithm problem in mathematics and steganalysis using t-test revealed the algorithm has the advantage of being the most solid method of key distribution over a public channel. The effectiveness of the new steganographic algorithm for covert communications over streaming media was examined by means of security analysis, steganalysis using non parameter Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon statistical testing, and performance and robustness measurements. The algorithm achieved the average data embedding rate of 800 bps, comparable to other related algorithms. The results indicated that the algorithm has no or little impact on real-time VoIP communications in terms of speech quality (< 5% change in PESQ with hidden data), signal distortion (6% change in SNR after steganography) and imperceptibility, and it is more secure and effective in addressing the security problems than other related algorithms

Covert communication over VoIP streaming media with dynamic key distribution and authentication

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is widely embedded into commercial and industrial applications. VoIP streams can be used as innocuous cover objects to hide the secret data in steganographic systems. The security offered by VoIP signaling protocols is likely to be compromised due to a sharp increase in computing power. This article describes a theoretical and experimental investigation of covert steganographic communications over VoIP streaming media. A new information-theoretical model of secure covert VoIP communications was constructed to depict the security scenarios in steganographic systems against the passive attacks. A one-way accumulation-based steganographic algorithm was devised to integrate dynamic key updating and exchange with data embedding and extraction, so as to protect steganographic systems from adversary attacks. The theoretical analysis of steganographic security using information theory proves that the proposed model for covert VoIP communications is secure against a passive adversary. The effectiveness of the steganographic algorithm for covert VoIP communications was examined by means of performance and robustness measurements. The results reveal that the algorithm has no or little impact on real-time VoIP communications in terms of imperceptibility, speech quality, and signal distortion, and is more secure and effective at improving the security of covert VoIP communications than the other related algorithms with the comparable data embedding rates

A Network Algorithm for 3D/2D IPTV Distribution using WiMAX and WLAN Technologies

The final publication is available at link.springer.comThe appearance of new broadband wireless technologies jointly with the ability to offer enough quality of service to provide IPTV over them, have made possible the mobility and ubiquity of any type of device to access the IPTV network. The minimum bandwidth required in the access network to provide appropriate quality 3D/2D IPTV services jointly with the need to guarantee the Quality of Experience (QoE) to the end user, makes the need of algorithms that should be able to combine different wireless standards and technologies. In this paper, we propose a network algorithm that manages the IPTV access network and decides which type of wireless technology the customers should connect with when using multiband devices, depending on the requirements of the IPTV client device, the available networks, and some network parameters (such as the number of loss packets and packet delay), to provide the maximum QoE to the customer. The measurements taken in a real environment from several wireless networks allow us to know the performance of the proposed system when it selects each one of them. The measurements taken from a test bench demonstrate the success of our system.This work has been partially supported by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, though the PAID-15-10 multidisciplinary projects, by the Instituto de Telecomunicacoes, Next Generation Networks and Applications Group (NetGNA), Portugal, and by National Funding from the FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through the PEst-OE/EEI/LA0008/2011 Project.Lloret, J.; Cánovas Solbes, A.; Rodrigues, JJPC.; Lin, K. (2013). A Network Algorithm for 3D/2D IPTV Distribution using WiMAX and WLAN Technologies. Multimedia Tools and Applications. 67(1):7-30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-011-0929-4S730671Abukharis S, MacKenzie R, Farrell TO (2009) Improving QoS of Video Transmitted Over 802.11 WLANs Using Frame Aggregation. 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A New covert channel over RTP

In this thesis, we designed and implemented a new covert channel over the RTP protocol. The covert channel modifies the timestamp value in the RTP header to send its secret messages. The high frequency of RTP packets allows for a high bitrate covert channel, theoretically up to 350 bps. The broad use of RTP for multimedia applications, including VoIP, provides plentiful opportunities to use this channel. By using the RTP header, many of the challenges present for covert channels using the RTP payload are avoided. Using the reference implementation of this covert channel, bitrates of up to 325 bps were observed. Speed decreases on less reliable networks, though message delivery was flawless with up to 1% RTP packet loss. The channel is very difficult to detect due to expected variations in the timestamp field and the flexible nature of RTP