I-PVO based high capacity reversible data hiding using bin reservation strategy

Pixel Value Ordering (PVO) is a data hiding technique through which pixels within an image block are ranked and modify minimum or maximum pixel value for data embedding. In this paper, we proposed an Extended Directional Improved PVO (EDIPVO) for Reversible Data Hiding (RDH) scheme. The original image pixel blocks are interpolated by inserting extra pixels between each row and each column. During data embedding, we consider a parameter \((\alpha )\), perform addition with maximum pixel value, and subtract \(\alpha \) from minimum pixel value to maintain the order within the pixel block. The parameter \(\alpha \) is dependent on the size of the original image block. To increase data hiding capacity, we have considered pixel ranking in three different directions: (1) horizontal, (2) vertical, and (3) diagonal within each block. The secret data bits are embedded starting from the largest, second largest, and so on for maximum value modification and smallest, second smallest, and so on for minimum value modification. The data embedding capacity has been improved than previous data hiding schemes while keeping visual quality unaltered. Experimental results are compared with existing state-of-the-art methods and achieve good results.

A novel reversible image data hiding scheme based on pixel value ordering and dynamic pixel block partition

In this paper, based on the principle of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), a novel reversible data hiding scheme is presented. The to-be-embedded data are represented by different orthogonal spreading sequences and embedded into a cover image while degrading the image quality slightly. According to the feature of orthogonality, different spreading sequences are repeatedly embedded into the image without disturbing each other, and most elements of different spreading sequences are mutually cancelled in the process of multilevel data embedding. Thus, it keeps the distortion of the embedded image at a relatively low level even with a high embedding capacity. Moreover, the location-map of the proposed scheme can be highly compressed and thus the size is quite small; it further helps to obtain high net embedding capacity. Experimental results have demonstrated that the CDMA based reversible data hiding scheme can achieve higher image quality at the moderate-to-high embedding capacity than other state-of-the-art reversible data hiding works.

The goal of image steganographic methods considers three main key issues: high embedding capacity, good visual symmetry/quality, and security. In this paper, a hybrid data hiding method combining the right-most digit replacement (RMDR) with an adaptive least significant bit (ALSB) is proposed to provide not only high embedding capacity but also maintain a good visual symmetry. The cover-image is divided into lower texture (symmetry patterns) and higher texture (asymmetry patterns) areas and these textures determine the selection of RMDR and ALSB methods, respectively, according to pixel symmetry. This paper has three major contributions. First, the proposed hybrid method enhanced the embedding capacity due to efficient ALSB utilization in the higher texture areas of cover images. Second, the proposed hybrid method maintains the high visual quality because RMDR has the closest selection process to generate the symmetry between stego and cover pixels. Finally, the proposed hybrid method is secure against statistical regular or singular (RS) steganalysis and pixel difference histogram steganalysis because RMDR is capable of evading the risk of RS detection attacks due to pixel digits replacement instead of bits. Extensive experimental tests (over 1500+ cover images) are conducted with recent least significant bit (LSB)-based hybrid methods and it is demonstrated that the proposed hybrid method has a high embedding capacity (800,019 bits) while maintaining good visual symmetry (39.00% peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR)).

Enhanced pairwise IPVO-based reversible data hiding scheme using rhombus context

Image steganography is the art of hiding secret message in greyscale or cover images. Easy detection of secret message for any state-of-art image steganography can break the stego system. To prevent the breakdown of the stego system two tier data hiding is used. In this paper, we propose a high capacity image steganography with greyscale primary cover. Predictive primary cover PPC is computed from the primary cover using median edge detector MED predictor. Predictive error PE is the difference between primary cover and the PPC. The high level bit planes of the secret image payload are X-ORed with low level bit planes of the PPC and vice-verse. The resulting Stego image is embedded in a secondary cover image using bit plane X-OR algorithm. The cover image used is an RGB colour image. The proposed steganography scheme enhances the level of security of the existing bit plane X-OR algorithm without considerably increasing the computation time and detectability. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme achieves higher level of security with high embedding capacity. Higher level of security achieved by the proposed multilayer steganography scheme enhances the performance and security of the bit plane X-OR algorithm.

This work presents a novel histogram-based reversible data hiding scheme. Although common histogram-based reversible data hiding schemes can achieve high image quality, embedding capacity is restricted because general images usually do not contain a great number of pixels with the same pixel values. To improve embedding capacity and retain low distortion, the proposed scheme uses prediction-error values, which are derived from the difference between an original image and a predictive image, instead of using the original pixels to convey a secret message. In the proposed scheme, a predictive image is generated using the mean interpolation prediction method. Since the obtained predictive image is very similar to the original image, prediction-error values are to be tended to zero. That is, a great quantity of peak points gathers around zero. The proposed scheme takes full advantage of this property to increase embedding capacity and retain slight distortion. Moreover, a threshold is used to balance the tradeoff between embedding capacity and image quality, i.e. embedding capacity in the proposed scheme is scalable. Furthermore, only a threshold is needed to record, not a large amount of information of peak and zero points, when high embedding capacity is required. Additionally, a multilevel mechanism is employed to further increase embedding capacity. Experimental results indicate that the proposed scheme is superior to other reversible schemes in terms of both image quality and embedding capacity.

A new exploiting modification direction embedding method (also called the EMD embedding for short) was proposed by Zhang et al. to show that their proposed method has high embedding capacity and high stego-image quality as well because at most one cover pixel need increase/decrease by one among n cover pixels. Adopting the advantages of the EMD embedding method, we develop a condensed technique based on consecutive ones transformation and token representation to squeeze out of more embedding spaces for secret data to be embedded in a cover image. This contributes data embedding capacity.

In this paper, a reversible data hiding algorithm for audio files based on code division multiplexing (CDM) is proposed. In the scheme, the orthogonal spreading sequences are employed to carry the embedding data, and the host audio file can also be recovered completely after the secret message has been extracted accurately. At the same time, according the orthogonal character of the spreading sequences, the secret message can be embedded into the audio files repeatedly, and most elements of the spreading sequences are mutually canceled in the process of multi-level data embedding, which maintains the audio file in good auditory even at high data embedding capacity. Moreover, only the receiver who holds the same spreading sequences, as the sender can restore the embedded data, which enhance the security of the proposed scheme. As shown in the experimental results, the CDM based reversible data hiding (RDH) algorithm for audio files can achieve higher data embedding capacity at the same audio distortion compared with those state-of-the-art audio RDH algorithms.

Steganography, a technique of data hiding, is becoming more and more significant with expansion of the Internet communication. As a result, various steganographic algorithms have been proposed in recent years, for example, Ni et al. have carried out a lossless data-hiding algorithm based on the histogram modification. In order to reinforce more security and more data embedding capacity, this paper extends the Ni's algorithm with a random permutation and a histogram re-quantization. To begin with, applying a random permutation, the security is not easy to be broken by a brute-force attack. In addition, the embedding capacity is able to be strengthened approximately 3 times by adopting a histogram re-quantization. As to our approach, it is visually indistinguishable between a cover image and a stegoimage with a large embedding capacity.

Reversible Data Hiding (RDH) should be secured as per requirements to protect content in open environments such as the cloud and internet. Integrity and undetectability of steganographic images are amongst the main concerns in any RDH scheme. As steganographic encryption using linear prediction over bit-planes is challenging, so the security and embedding capacity of the existing RDH techniques could not be adequate. Therefore, a new steganographic technique is proposed which provides better security, higher embedding capacity and visual quality to the RDH scheme. In this technique, the cover image is divided into n-bit planes (nBPs) and linear prediction is applied to it. Next, the histogram of the residual nBPs image is taken, and secret data bits are encrypted using the RC4 cryptographic algorithm. To embed the encrypted secret data bits, the histogram shifting process is applied. This is achieved by using peak and zero pairs of residual nBPs images. This scheme provides security to the cover image and hidden data. The proposed RDH scheme is capable of extracting the embedded secret data accurately and recovering the original cover or residual nBPs image.

Steganography allows a user to hide the large amount of secret data within a image and audio files. It has become an interesting research area to enhance the security of network communications, copyright protection etc. The simplest methodology to hiding the data within an image is called LSB substitution method. LSB substitution method take the binary representation of hidden data and overwrite the LSB of each byte with in a cover image. In the proposed system the text data can be embedded into the LSB of cover image using Pixel Indicators in a Zigzag manner. The aim is to provide a better security with high embedding capacity and a better stego image quality than the existing systems. There are two different indicators are used, based on those indicators used in a Zigzag manner the hidden data is embedded into the LSB of the respective cover image. This type of embedding technique making it difficult for any attacker to extract the hidden data from the stego-image. Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio is used to measure the quality of the stego image. The proposed method provides better PSNR value than the existing systems.

The multi-bit image steganography (Paul et al. Multimedia Tools and Applications 76(5):7445–7471, 2017) proposed by Paul et al. provides high embedding capacity, and adapts the embedding position of messages to image content. This paper investigates the security and robustness of multi-bit steganography. In detection resistant experiment, we embed secret messages into cover images with multi-bit image steganography to get corresponding stego images, and adopt a more popular steganalyzer (SRM) to extract features of cover images and stego images. The ensemble classifier is trained with default settings. The experimental results show detection resistance performance of multi-bit image steganography is poor. In robustness test, we embed secret messages into cover images with multi-bit image steganography to get stego images, and attack the stego images with Stirmark. Then, we extract the secret messages from the attacked stego images. The experimental results demonstrate that we can not recover the secret messages from the attacked stego images. Therefore, there are flaws in detection resistant test and robustness test of multi-bit image steganography.

A reversible data hiding scheme, which can restore the original image completely after data extraction, is presented in this paper. In the proposed method, a cover image is reordered into a sequence using space filling curves. For each pixel (except the first pixel) in the sequence, a pixel difference is generated between the pixel and its neighbor pixel. Due to the inherent structure of images causes a correlation of adjacent pixels, by utilizing the space filling curve scanning we can improve the embedding capacity while keeping the distortion low. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm provides high embedding capacity while keeping the distortions low.

This paper presents a novel image hiding method with improved block matching way and high embedding capacity that allows the important image (<i>IM</i>) to be several times larger than the cover image. Multi-layered least-significant-bit (LSB) planes of the cover image (<i>CI</i>) are obtained for constructing the candidate block-matching set (CBMS) by using the features fusion which consists of the texture features of wavelet transform and gray level difference; By combining features way to search the best-matching blocks from the CBMS, and the Huffman coding is used to compress the data including the indices of the best-matching blocks, the not-well-matched blocks part of <i>IM</i> and the parameters into a secret information flow which is embedded into the double-layered bit planes of <i>CI</i> by using a high embedding rate encoder. Because the high embedding payload we need, the SPAM features will be chosen to test the performance of resisting steganalysis attack which can obviously improve the security of the stego images.