Lost in the Digital Wild: Hiding Information in Digital Activities

This paper presents a new general framework of information hiding, in which the hidden information is embedded into a collection of activities conducted by selected human and computer entities (e.g., a number of online accounts of one or more online social networks) in a selected digital world. Different from other traditional schemes, where the hidden information is embedded into one or more selected or generated cover objects, in the new framework the hidden information is embedded in the fact that some particular digital activities with some particular attributes took place in some particular ways in the receiver-observable digital world. In the new framework the concept of "cover" almost disappears, or one can say that now the whole digital world selected becomes the cover. The new framework can find applications in both security (e.g., steganography) and non-security domains (e.g., gaming). For security applications we expect that the new framework calls for completely new steganalysis techniques, which are likely more complicated, less effective and less efficient than existing ones due to the need to monitor and analyze the whole digital world constantly and in real time. A proof-of-concept system was developed as a mobile app based on Twitter activities to demonstrate the information hiding framework works. We are developing a more hybrid system involving several online social networks

Noiseless Steganography: The Key to Covert Communications

Among the features that make Noiseless Steganography: The Key to Covert Communications a first of its kind: The first to comprehensively cover Linguistic Steganography The first to comprehensively cover Graph Steganography The first to comprehensively cover Game Steganography Although the goal of steganography is to prevent adversaries from suspecting the existence of covert communications, most books on the subject present outdated steganography approaches that are detectable by human and/or machine examinations. These approaches often fail because they camouflage data as a detectable noise

NOSTEGA: A NOVEL NOISELESS STEGANOGRAPHY PARADIGM

Steganography is the science and art of covert communications and involves two procedures. First, the required message is concealed in a particular carrier, e. g. image, audio, text, etc., that is called a steganographic cover. The second procedure is concerned with transmitting the cover to the message recipient without drawing suspicion. Fundamentally, the steganographic goal is not to hinder the adversary from decoding a hidden message, but to prevent an adversary from suspecting the existence of covert communications. When using any steganographic technique if suspicion is raised, the goal of steganography is defeated regardless of whether or not a plaintext is revealed. Contemporary steganography approaches camouflage data as noise in a cover that is assumed to look innocent. For example, the encoded message can be embedded as alteration of digital images, audio files, text, etc., without noticeable degradation. However, such alteration of authenticated covers can raise suspicion and makes the message detectable. Another example is when linguistics, e. g., using synonymous words, is exploited as a means to conceal a message, causing the presence of abnormal and sometimes weird sentences in a text that become discernable by human and machine examinations. The presence of such unjustifiable noise draws attention and unravels the hidden communications. This dissertation introduces a novel Noiseless Steganography Paradigm ( Nostega). Nostega neither hides data in a noise nor produces noise. Instead, it camouflages messages in a form of unquestionable data in the generated cover. In addition, steganography approaches found in the literature have focused on how to conceal a message and not on how to camouflage its transmittal. Nostega addresses such shortcoming by not only camouflaging a message but also its transmission. Thus, Nostega is a novel paradigm in steganography research. In Nostega, the steganographical goal is achieved by determining a suitable domain that is capable of generating an unsuspicious steganographic cover in which a message intrinsically is embedded in a form of innocent data that is compatible with the chosen domain. In addition, Nostega establishes a covert channel by employing the selected domain to serve as a justification for the interaction and delivering the cover among the communicating parties. A number of Nostega- based methodologies are presented. The first methodology, a novel cover type, namely graph- cover, is introduced. Unlike image, audio, and text based steganographic covers, graphs enable data hiding in a plotted graph. Graph covers fit very well with Nostega and are suitable for many domains. The second methodology pursues popular games such as chess, checkers, crosswords, domino, etc., to conceal messages. Meanwhile, the third methodology pursues the linguistics path to generate text- cover. It exploits educational documents as steganographic covers by manipulating mainly, but not limited to, questions and answers. This methodology can employ exam generators and text substitution techniques to automate the process of cover generation. Finally, the fourth methodology is also a linguistic steganography type that conceals messages by manipulating automatic summarization techniques to conceal data in textual summaries. Implementation and steganalysis validation of these methodologies are presented

NOSTEGA: A NOVEL NOISELESS STEGANOGRAPHY PARADIGM

Steganography is the science and art of covert communications and involves two procedures. First, the required message is concealed in a particular carrier, e. g. image, audio, text, etc., that is called a steganographic cover. The second procedure is concerned with transmitting the cover to the message recipient without drawing suspicion. Fundamentally, the steganographic goal is not to hinder the adversary from decoding a hidden message, but to prevent an adversary from suspecting the existence of covert communications. When using any steganographic technique if suspicion is raised, the goal of steganography is defeated regardless of whether or not a plaintext is revealed. Contemporary steganography approaches camouflage data as noise in a cover that is assumed to look innocent. For example, the encoded message can be embedded as alteration of digital images, audio files, text, etc., without noticeable degradation. However, such alteration of authenticated covers can raise suspicion and makes the message detectable. Another example is when linguistics, e. g., using synonymous words, is exploited as a means to conceal a message, causing the presence of abnormal and sometimes weird sentences in a text that become discernable by human and machine examinations. The presence of such unjustifiable noise draws attention and unravels the hidden communications. This dissertation introduces a novel Noiseless Steganography Paradigm ( Nostega). Nostega neither hides data in a noise nor produces noise. Instead, it camouflages messages in a form of unquestionable data in the generated cover. In addition, steganography approaches found in the literature have focused on how to conceal a message and not on how to camouflage its transmittal. Nostega addresses such shortcoming by not only camouflaging a message but also its transmission. Thus, Nostega is a novel paradigm in steganography research. In Nostega, the steganographical goal is achieved by determining a suitable domain that is capable of generating an unsuspicious steganographic cover in which a message intrinsically is embedded in a form of innocent data that is compatible with the chosen domain. In addition, Nostega establishes a covert channel by employing the selected domain to serve as a justification for the interaction and delivering the cover among the communicating parties. A number of Nostega- based methodologies are presented. The first methodology, a novel cover type, namely graph- cover, is introduced. Unlike image, audio, and text based steganographic covers, graphs enable data hiding in a plotted graph. Graph covers fit very well with Nostega and are suitable for many domains. The second methodology pursues popular games such as chess, checkers, crosswords, domino, etc., to conceal messages. Meanwhile, the third methodology pursues the linguistics path to generate text- cover. It exploits educational documents as steganographic covers by manipulating mainly, but not limited to, questions and answers. This methodology can employ exam generators and text substitution techniques to automate the process of cover generation. Finally, the fourth methodology is also a linguistic steganography type that conceals messages by manipulating automatic summarization techniques to conceal data in textual summaries. Implementation and steganalysis validation of these methodologies are presented

Differential expression of miRNAs in a human developing neuronal cell line chronically infected with Zika virus

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a serious public health concern that may lead to neurological disorders in affected individuals. The virus can be transmitted from an infected mother to her fetus, via mosquitoes, or sexually. ZIKV infections are associated with increased risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and congenital microcephaly in newborns infected prenatally. Dysregulations of intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) in infected neurons have been linked to different neurological diseases. To determine the potential role of miRNAs in ZIKV infection we developed a chronically infected neuroblastoma cell line and carried out differential expression analyses of miRNAs with reference to an uninfected neuroblastoma cell line. A total of 3192miRNAs were evaluated and 389 were found to be upregulated < 2-fold and 1291 were downregulated < 2-fold. In particular, we determined that hsa-mir-431-5p, hsa-mir-3687, hsa-mir-4655-5p, hsa-mir-6071, hsa-mir-762, hsa-mir-5787, and hsa-mir-6825-3p were significantly downregulated, ranging from -5711 to -660-fold whereas, has-mir-4315, hsa-mir-5681b, hsa-mir-6511a-3p, hsa-mir-1264, hsa-mir-4418, hsa-mir-4497, hsa-mir-4485-3p, hsa-mir-4715-3p, hsa-mir-4433-3p, hsa-mir-4708-3p, hsa-mir-1973 and hsa-mir-564 were upregulated, ranging from 20-0.8-fold. We carried out target gene alignment of these miRNAs with the ZIKV genome to predict the function of the differentially expressed miRNAs and their potential impact on ZIKV pathogenesis. These miRNAs might prove useful as novel diagnostic or therapeutic markers and targets for further research on ZIKV infection and neuronal injury resulting from ZIKV infectivity in developing fetal brain neurons

Differential expression of miRNAs in a human developing neuronal cell line chronically infected with Zika virus

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a serious public health concern that may lead to neurological disorders in affected individuals. The virus can be transmitted from an infected mother to her fetus, via mosquitoes, or sexually. ZIKV infections are associated with increased risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and congenital microcephaly in newborns infected prenatally. Dysregulations of intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) in infected neurons have been linked to different neurological diseases. To determine the potential role of miRNAs in ZIKV infection we developed a chronically infected neuroblastoma cell line and carried out differential expression analyses of miRNAs with reference to an uninfected neuroblastoma cell line. A total of 3192miRNAs were evaluated and 389 were found to be upregulated < 2-fold and 1291 were downregulated < 2-fold. In particular, we determined that hsa-mir-431-5p, hsa-mir-3687, hsa-mir-4655-5p, hsa-mir-6071, hsa-mir-762, hsa-mir-5787, and hsa-mir-6825-3p were significantly downregulated, ranging from -5711 to -660-fold whereas, has-mir-4315, hsa-mir-5681b, hsa-mir-6511a-3p, hsa-mir-1264, hsa-mir-4418, hsa-mir-4497, hsa-mir-4485-3p, hsa-mir-4715-3p, hsa-mir-4433-3p, hsa-mir-4708-3p, hsa-mir-1973 and hsa-mir-564 were upregulated, ranging from 20-0.8-fold. We carried out target gene alignment of these miRNAs with the ZIKV genome to predict the function of the differentially expressed miRNAs and their potential impact on ZIKV pathogenesis. These miRNAs might prove useful as novel diagnostic or therapeutic markers and targets for further research on ZIKV infection and neuronal injury resulting from ZIKV infectivity in developing fetal brain neurons