An Information- Theoretical Model for Streaming Media Based Stegosystems

Steganography in streaming media differs from steganography in images or audio files because of the continuous embedding process and the necessary synchronization of sender and receiver due to packet loss in streaming media. The conventional theoretical model for image steganography is not appropriate for explaining the security scenarios for streaming media based stegosystems. In this paper, we propose a new information-theoretical model with two pseudo-random sequences imitating the continuous embedding and synchronization characteristics of streaming media based stegosystems. We also discuss the statistical properties of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) speech streams through theoretical analysis and experimental testing. The experimental results show the bit stream consisting of fixed codebook parameters in speech frames is similar in statistical characteristics to a white-noise sequence. The relative entropy between the VoIP speech stream and the embedded secret message has been found to be zero. This leads us to conclude that the proposed streaming media based stegosystem is secure against statistical detection; in other words, the statistical measures cannot detect the existence of the secret message embedded in VoIP speech streams

05411 Abstracts Collection -- Anonymous Communication and its Applications

From 09.10.05 to 14.10.05, the Dagstuhl Seminar 05411 ``Anonymous Communication and its Applications\u27\u27 was held in the International Conference and Research Center (IBFI), Schloss Dagstuhl. During the seminar, several participants presented their current research, and ongoing work and open problems were discussed. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar as well as abstracts of seminar results and ideas are put together in this paper. The first section describes the seminar topics and goals in general. Links to extended abstracts or full papers are provided, if available

Digital watermarking: a state-of-the-art review

Digital watermarking is the art of embedding data, called a watermark, into a multimedia object such that the watermark can be detected or extracted later without impairing the object. Concealment of secret messages inside a natural language, known as steganography, has been in existence as early as the 16th century. However, the increase in electronic/digital information transmission and distribution has resulted in the spread of watermarking from ordinary text to multimedia transmission. In this paper, we review various approaches and methods that have been used to conceal and preserve messages. Examples of real-world applications are also discussed.SANPAD, Telkom, Cisco, Aria Technologies, THRIPDepartment of HE and Training approved lis

SYNTEZA OPTYMALNEJ METODY STEGANOGRAFII WEDŁUG WYBRANYCH KRYTERIÓW

One of the steganography areas is digital watermarking. In this paper, the technique of comparative analysis of embedding information methods into an image was proposed. A comprehensive analysis of the most relevant steganographic methods of hiding information was made. Own method of embedding information in still images was synthesized. The possibility of studied methods to adapt to the real channels was evaluated for the first time. The robustness and security of steganographic systems based on the proposed method were also demonstrated.Jednym z obszarów steganografii jest osadzanie cyfrowych znaków wodnych. W niniejszej pracy zaproponowano metodykę analizy porównawczej metod osadzania informacji w obrazach. Została dokonana wszechstronna analiza najnowszych metod ukrywania informacji za pomocą steganografii. Opracowano własną metodę osadzania informacji w nieruchomych obrazach. Oceniono możliwość adaptowania się metod do charakterystyk rzeczywistych kanałów komunikacyjnych. Wykazano wiarygodność i bezpieczeństwo systemów steganograficznych wykorzystujących proponowaną metodę

Uncontrolled Randomness in Blockchains:Covert Bulletin Board for Illicit Activity

Public blockchains can be abused to covertly store and disseminate potentially harmful digital content which poses a serious regulatory issue. In this work, we show the severity of the problem by demonstrating that blockchains can be exploited to surreptitiously distribute arbitrary content. More specifically, all major blockchain systems use randomized cryptographic primitives, such as digital signatures and non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs; we illustrate how the uncontrolled randomness in such primitives can be maliciously manipulated to enable covert communication and hidden persistent storage. To clarify the potential risk, we design, implement and evaluate our technique against the widely-used ECDSA signature scheme, the CryptoNote's ring signature scheme, and Monero's ring confidential transactions. Importantly, the significance of the demonstrated attacks stems from their undetectability, their adverse effect on the future of decentralized blockchains, and their serious repercussions on users' privacy and crypto funds. Finally, we present a generic framework to immunize blockchains against these attacks

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

On Pseudorandom Encodings

We initiate a study of pseudorandom encodings: efficiently computable and decodable encoding functions that map messages from a given distribution to a random-looking distribution. For instance, every distribution that can be perfectly and efficiently compressed admits such a pseudorandom encoding. Pseudorandom encodings are motivated by a variety of cryptographic applications, including password-authenticated key exchange, “honey encryption” and steganography. The main question we ask is whether every efficiently samplable distribution admits a pseudorandom encoding. Under different cryptographic assumptions, we obtain positive and negative answers for different flavors of pseudorandom encodings, and relate this question to problems in other areas of cryptography. In particular, by establishing a twoway relation between pseudorandom encoding schemes and efficient invertible sampling algorithms, we reveal a connection between adaptively secure multiparty computation for randomized functionalities and questions in the domain of steganography

Европейский и национальный контексты в научных исследованиях

В настоящем электронном сборнике «Европейский и национальный контексты в научных исследованиях. Технология» представлены работы молодых ученых по геодезии и картографии, химической технологии и машиностроению, информационным технологиям, строительству и радиотехнике. Предназначены для работников образования, науки и производства. Будут полезны студентам, магистрантам и аспирантам университетов.=In this Electronic collected materials “National and European dimension in research. Technology” works in the fields of geodesy, chemical technology, mechanical engineering, information technology, civil engineering, and radio-engineering are presented. It is intended for trainers, researchers and professionals. It can be useful for university graduate and post-graduate students

FRAMEWORK FOR ANONYMIZED COVERT COMMUNICATIONS: A BLOCKCHAIN-BASED PROOF-OF-CONCEPT

In this dissertation, we present an information hiding approach incorporating anonymity that builds on existing classical steganographic models. Current security definitions are not sufficient to analyze the proposed information hiding approach as steganography offers data privacy by hiding the existence of data, a property that is distinct from confidentiality (data existence is known but access is restricted) and authenticity (data existence is known but manipulation is restricted). Combinations of the latter two properties are common in analyses, such as Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD), yet there is a lack of research on combinations with steganography. This dissertation also introduces the security definition of Authenticated Stegotext with Associated Data (ASAD), which captures steganographic properties even when there is contextual information provided alongside the hidden data. We develop a hierarchical framework of ASAD variants, corresponding to different channel demands. We present a real-world steganographic embedding scheme, Authenticated SteGotex with Associated tRansaction Data (ASGARD), that leverages a blockchain-based application as a medium for sending hidden data. We analyze ASGARD in our framework and show that it meets Level-4 ASAD security. Finally, we implement ASGARD on the Ethereum platform as a proof-of-concept and analyze some of the ways an adversary might detect our embedding activity by analyzing historical Ethereum data.Lieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited