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22 pages, 28158 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Edge-Aware Dual-Task Image Watermarking Against Social Network Noise

by Hao Jiang, Jiahao Wang, Yuhan Yao, Xingchen Li, Feifei Kou, Xinkun Tang and Limei Qi

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15010057 - 25 Dec 2024

In the era of widespread digital image sharing on social media platforms, deep-learning-based watermarking has shown great potential in copyright protection. To address the fundamental trade-off between the visual quality of the watermarked image and the robustness of watermark extraction, we explore the [...] Read more.

In the era of widespread digital image sharing on social media platforms, deep-learning-based watermarking has shown great potential in copyright protection. To address the fundamental trade-off between the visual quality of the watermarked image and the robustness of watermark extraction, we explore the role of structural features and propose a novel edge-aware watermarking framework. Our primary innovation lies in the edge-aware secret hiding module (EASHM), which achieves adaptive watermark embedding by aligning watermarks with image structural features. To realize this, the EASHM leverages knowledge distillation from an edge detection teacher and employs a dual-task encoder that simultaneously performs edge detection and watermark embedding through maximal parameter sharing. The framework is further equipped with a social network noise simulator (SNNS) and a secret recovery module (SRM) to enhance robustness against common image noise attacks. Extensive experiments on three public datasets demonstrate that our framework achieves superior watermark imperceptibility, with PSNR and SSIM values exceeding 40.82 dB and 0.9867, respectively, while maintaining an over 99% decoding accuracy under various noise attacks, outperforming existing methods by significant margins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Intelligent Image Processing Technology)

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15 pages, 4739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

RADH-A Reversible and Authenticable Data Hiding Scheme in Encrypted Domain Based on Image Interpolation and Substitution

by Chia-Chen Lin, Rong-Ze Chen, Wei-Liang Tai and Chun-Jung Lin

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(23), 11083; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311083 - 28 Nov 2024

Viewed by 441

Abstract

The rise of the Internet has transformed communication and information access, but it also raises serious privacy concerns, especially regarding personal image sharing. This paper presents a novel reversible and authenticable data-hiding scheme for encrypted images that utilizes interpolation techniques and substitution methods. [...] Read more.

The rise of the Internet has transformed communication and information access, but it also raises serious privacy concerns, especially regarding personal image sharing. This paper presents a novel reversible and authenticable data-hiding scheme for encrypted images that utilizes interpolation techniques and substitution methods. Our encryption system achieves a lower correlation among neighboring pixels, ensuring a more uniform distribution in the encrypted image. The stego images do not reveal any information about the original cover image or secret data. The embedded authentication data provides the ability to verify the authenticity of the image and localize the tampering. Experimental results show that our scheme can securely protect an image from unauthorized access and verify its authenticity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multimedia Steganography and Watermarking)

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18 pages, 2724 KiB

Open AccessArticle

MRA-VSS: A Matrix-Based Reversible and Authenticable Visual Secret-Sharing Scheme Using Dual Meaningful Images

by Chia-Chen Lin, En-Ting Chu, Ya-Fen Chang and Ersin Elbasi

Mathematics 2024, 12(22), 3532; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12223532 - 12 Nov 2024

Viewed by 478

Abstract

Reversible data hiding (RDH) is an approach that emphasizes the imperceptibility of hidden confidential data and the restoration of the original cover image. To achieve these objectives at the same time, in this paper, we design a matrix-based crossover data hiding strategy and [...] Read more.

Reversible data hiding (RDH) is an approach that emphasizes the imperceptibility of hidden confidential data and the restoration of the original cover image. To achieve these objectives at the same time, in this paper, we design a matrix-based crossover data hiding strategy and then propose a novel matrix-based RDH scheme with dual meaningful image shadows, called MRA-VSS (matrix-based reversible and authenticable visual secret-sharing). Each pixel in a secret image is divided into two parts, and each part is embedded into a cover pixel pair by referring to the intersection point of four overlapping frames. During the share construction phase, not only partial information of the pixel in a secret image but also authentication codes are embedded into the corresponding cover pixel pair. Finally, two meaningful image shadows are derived. The experimental results confirm that our designed MRA-VSS successfully embeds pixels’ partial information and authentication code into cover pixel pairs at the cost of slight distortion during data hiding. Nevertheless, the robustness of our scheme under the steganalysis attack and the authentication capability of our scheme are also proven. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Engineering Mathematics)

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20 pages, 10850 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reversible Data Hiding in Crypto-Space Images with Polynomial Secret Sharing over Galois Field

by Hao-Wei Lu, Jui-Chuan Liu, Chin-Chen Chang and Ji-Hwei Horng

Electronics 2024, 13(14), 2860; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13142860 - 20 Jul 2024

Viewed by 793

Abstract

Secret sharing is a data security technique that divides secret information into multiple parts, embeds these parts into various shares, and distributes these shares to different participants. The original secret information can be retrieved only when the number of shares gathered meets a [...] Read more.

Secret sharing is a data security technique that divides secret information into multiple parts, embeds these parts into various shares, and distributes these shares to different participants. The original secret information can be retrieved only when the number of shares gathered meets a required threshold. This paper proposes a secret sharing method that can hide data in encrypted images with reversibility and allows content owners to add an additional layer of security before uploading data to the cloud. This method enables the independent extraction of images and data, ensuring that the recovered images and extracted data can serve as validation information for each other. The proposed method not only enhances data security but also guarantees the accuracy of the extracted information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Information Security and Data Privacy)

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16 pages, 16154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Hierarchical Authorization Reversible Data Hiding in Encrypted Image Based on Secret Sharing

by Chao Jiang, Minqing Zhang, Yongjun Kong, Zongbao Jiang and Fuqiang Di

Mathematics 2024, 12(14), 2262; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12142262 - 19 Jul 2024

Viewed by 779

Abstract

In the current distributed environment, reversible data hiding in encrypted domain (RDH-ED) cannot grant corresponding privileges according to users’ identity classes. To address this issue, this paper proposes a hierarchical authorization structure embedding scheme based on secret image sharing (SIS) and users’ hierarchical [...] Read more.

In the current distributed environment, reversible data hiding in encrypted domain (RDH-ED) cannot grant corresponding privileges according to users’ identity classes. To address this issue, this paper proposes a hierarchical authorization structure embedding scheme based on secret image sharing (SIS) and users’ hierarchical identities. In the first embedding, the polynomial coefficient redundancy generated in the encryption process of the SIS is utilized by the image owner. For the second, the participants are categorized into two parts. One is core users with adaptive difference reservation embedding, and the other is ordinary users with pixel bit replacement embedding. At the time of reconstruction, more than one core user must provide pixel differences, which grants more privileges to core users. The experimental results demonstrate that the average embedding rate (ER) of the test images is 4.3333 bits per pixel (bpp) in the (3, 4) threshold scheme. Additionally, the reconstructed image achieves a PSNR of +∞ and an SSIM of 1. Compared to existing high-performance RDH-ED schemes based on secret sharing, the proposed scheme with a larger ER maintains strong security and reversibility. Moreover, it is also suitable for multiple embeddings involving multilevel participant identities. In conclusion, the results underscore the efficacy of our technique in achieving both security and performance objectives within a complex distributed setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Information Security and Image Processing)

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25 pages, 5695 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reversible Data Hiding Algorithm in Encrypted Images Based on Adaptive Median Edge Detection and Matrix-Based Secret Sharing

by Zongbao Jiang, Minqing Zhang, Weina Dong, Chao Jiang and Fuqiang Di

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(14), 6267; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14146267 - 18 Jul 2024

Viewed by 773

Abstract

Reversible data hiding in encrypted images (RDH-EI) schemes based on secret sharing have emerged as a significant area of research in privacy protection. However, existing algorithms have limitations, such as low embedding capacity and insufficient privacy protection. To address these challenges, this paper [...] Read more.

Reversible data hiding in encrypted images (RDH-EI) schemes based on secret sharing have emerged as a significant area of research in privacy protection. However, existing algorithms have limitations, such as low embedding capacity and insufficient privacy protection. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an RDH-EI scheme based on adaptive median edge detection (AMED) and matrix-based secret sharing (MSS). The algorithm creatively leverages the AMED technique for precise image prediction and then integrates the (r, n)-threshold MSS scheme to partition the image into n encrypted images. Simultaneously, it embeds identifying information during segmentation to detect potential attacks during transmission. The algorithm allows multiple data hiders to embed secret data independently. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly enhances the embedding rate while preserving reversibility compared to current algorithms. The average maximum embedding rates achieved are up to 5.8142 bits per pixel (bpp) for the (3, 4)-threshold scheme and up to 7.2713 bpp for the (6, 6)-threshold scheme. With disaster-resilient features, the algorithm ensures

(n - r)

storage fault tolerance, enabling secure multi-party data storage. Furthermore, the design of the identifying information effectively evaluates the security of the transmission environment, making it suitable for multi-user cloud service scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multimedia Steganography and Watermarking)

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17 pages, 8510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reversible Data Hiding in Encrypted Images Based on Preprocessing-Free Variable Threshold Secret Sharing

by Chao Jiang, Minqing Zhang, Xiong Zhang and Fuqiang Di

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5574; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135574 - 26 Jun 2024

Viewed by 999

Abstract

To solve the limitations of reversible data hiding in encrypted domains (RDH-ED) that cannot be applied to a distributed variable security environment, a novel RDH-ED scheme based on variable threshold image secret sharing (VTSIS) is proposed. Initially, a security vulnerability analysis of existing [...] Read more.

To solve the limitations of reversible data hiding in encrypted domains (RDH-ED) that cannot be applied to a distributed variable security environment, a novel RDH-ED scheme based on variable threshold image secret sharing (VTSIS) is proposed. Initially, a security vulnerability analysis of existing changing thresholds in a bivariate polynomial-based secret image sharing (TCSIS) method is conducted and validated through experiments. Subsequently, enhancements are made to the VTSIS scheme to rectify the identified security loopholes. During the image encryption process, additional data can be embedded into the redundancy of VTSIS, which results in a large embedding rate and high security. Finally, theoretical analysis and experimental proofs are carried out for the proposed scheme, and the results show that our scheme broadens the application scenarios of RDH-ED. Notably, the scheme eliminates the need for preprocessing and has the advantages of high security, a large embedding rate, and complete reversibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multimedia Steganography and Watermarking)

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10 pages, 2493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Progressive Reconstruction on Region-Based Secret Image Sharing

by Yanxiao Liu, Qindong Sun, Zhihai Yang, Yongluan Zhou, Weihua Zhao and Dantong Shi

Electronics 2024, 13(8), 1529; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13081529 - 17 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1089

Abstract

(k, n)

threshold progressive secret image sharing (PSIS) has become an important issue in recent years. In

(k, n)

PSIS, a secret image is encrypted into n shadows such that k to n shadows can gradually reconstruct [...] Read more.

(k, n)

threshold progressive secret image sharing (PSIS) has become an important issue in recent years. In

(k, n)

PSIS, a secret image is encrypted into n shadows such that k to n shadows can gradually reconstruct the secret image. Since an image can usually be divided into different regions in such a way that each region includes information with different importance levels, region-based PSIS has also been proposed where the reconstruction of different regions requires different thresholds on the shadow numbers. In this work, we propose new region-based

(k, n)

PSIS that achieves a novel reconstruction model, where all regions possess the property of

(k, n)

threshold progressive reconstruction, but the same number of shadows recovers a lower proportion of information in regions with a higher importance level. This new reconstruction model can further complete the application of region-based PSIS, where each region has an equal minimum threshold for reconstruction, and the difference in importance levels between regions can be reflected in the proportion of the recovered image using the same number of shadows. A theoretical analysis proves the correctness of the proposed scheme, and the experimental results from four secret images also show the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances and Applications of Network Security and Cryptography)

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21 pages, 7107 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Data Hiding and Authentication Scheme for Medical Images Using Double POB

by Fang Ren, Xuan Shi, Enya Tang and Mengmeng Zeng

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 2664; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14062664 - 21 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1150

Abstract

To protect the security of medical images and to improve the embedding ability of data in encrypted medical images, this paper proposes a permutation ordered binary (POB) number system-based hiding and authentication scheme for medical images, which includes three parts: image preprocessing, double [...] Read more.

To protect the security of medical images and to improve the embedding ability of data in encrypted medical images, this paper proposes a permutation ordered binary (POB) number system-based hiding and authentication scheme for medical images, which includes three parts: image preprocessing, double hiding, and information extraction and lossless recovery. In the image preprocessing and double hiding phase, firstly, the region of significance (ROS) of the original medical image is segmented into a region of interest (ROI) and a region of non-interest (RONI). Then, the bit plane of the ROI and RONI are separated and cross-reorganization to obtain two new Share images. After the two new Share images are compressed, the images are encrypted to generate two encrypted shares. Finally, the embedding of secret data and attaching of authentication bits in each of these two encrypted shares was performed using the POB algorithm. In the information extraction and lossless recovery phase, the POBN algorithm is first used to extract the authentication bits to realize image tamper detection; then, the embedded secret message is extracted, and the original medical image is recovered. The method proposed in this research performs better in data embedding and lossless recovery, as demonstrated by experiments. Full article

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19 pages, 1358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Advanced Dual Reversible Data Hiding: A Focus on Modification Direction and Enhanced Least Significant Bit (LSB) Approaches

by Cheonshik Kim, Luis Cavazos Quero, Ki-Hyun Jung and Lu Leng

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 2437; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14062437 - 14 Mar 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 942

Abstract

In this study, we investigate advances in reversible data hiding (RDH), a critical area in the era of widespread digital data sharing. Recognizing the inherent vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access and data corruption during data transmission, we introduce an innovative dual approach to [...] Read more.

In this study, we investigate advances in reversible data hiding (RDH), a critical area in the era of widespread digital data sharing. Recognizing the inherent vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access and data corruption during data transmission, we introduce an innovative dual approach to RDH. We use the EMD (Exploiting Modification Direction) method along with an optimized LSB (Least Significant Bit) replacement strategy. This dual method, applied to grayscale images, has been carefully developed to improve data hiding by focusing on modifying pixel pairs. Our approach sets new standards for achieving a balance between high data embedding rates and the integrity of visual quality. The EMD method ensures that each secret digit in a 5-ary notational system is hidden by 2 cover pixels. Meanwhile, our LSB strategy finely adjusts the pixels selected by EMD to minimize data errors. Despite its simplicity, this approach has been proven to outperform existing technologies. It offers a high embedding rate (ER) while maintaining the high visual quality of the stego images. Moreover, it significantly improves data hiding capacity. This enables the full recovery of the original image without increasing file size or adding unnecessary data, marking a significant breakthrough in data security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deep Learning for Data Analysis)

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11 pages, 4976 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Image Division Using Threshold Schemes with Privileges

by Marek R. Ogiela and Lidia Ogiela

Electronics 2024, 13(5), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13050931 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 700

Abstract

Threshold schemes are used among cryptographic techniques for splitting visual data. Such methods allow the generation of a number of secret shares, a certain number of which need to be assembled in order to reconstruct the original image. Traditional techniques for partitioning secret [...] Read more.

Threshold schemes are used among cryptographic techniques for splitting visual data. Such methods allow the generation of a number of secret shares, a certain number of which need to be assembled in order to reconstruct the original image. Traditional techniques for partitioning secret information generate equal shares, i.e., each share has the same value when reconstructing the original secret. However, it turns out that it is possible to develop and use partitioning protocols that allow the generation of privileged shares, i.e., those that allow the reconstruction of secret data in even smaller numbers. This paper will therefore describe new information sharing protocols that create privileged shares, which will also use visual authorization codes based on subject knowledge to select privileged shares for secret restoration. For the protocols described, examples of their functioning will be presented, and their complexity and potential for use in practical applications will be determined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Computer Vision and Image Analysis)

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27 pages, 3690 KiB

Open AccessArticle

RG-Based Region Incrementing Visual Cryptography with Abilities of OR and XOR Decryption

by Yu-Ru Lin and Justie Su-Tzu Juan

Symmetry 2024, 16(2), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16020153 - 28 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1081

Abstract

Visual cryptography (VC) is a cryptographic technique that allows the encryption of a secret image into multiple shares. When the shares of a qualified subset are superimposed, the original secret image can be visually recovered. Region incremental visual cryptography (RIVC) is a class [...] Read more.

Visual cryptography (VC) is a cryptographic technique that allows the encryption of a secret image into multiple shares. When the shares of a qualified subset are superimposed, the original secret image can be visually recovered. Region incremental visual cryptography (RIVC) is a class of visual cryptography; it encrypts a single image into a shared image with multiple levels of secrecy, and when decrypted, the secret image of each region can be gradually recovered. Traditional VC encrypts two black-and-white images, and its recovery method is equivalent to a logical OR operation. To obtain a better recognizability of the restored image, the XORoperator becomes a simple and efficient method of encryption and decryption. Because the XOR operation needs extra cost or equipment, if the equipment cannot be obtained, the scheme can be more flexible if the secret can still be restored by using OR decryption (superimpose). In this paper, we propose a novel RIVC that allows encoding multiple secret regions of a secret image into n random grids. Both the OR operation and the XOR operation can be used as operations during decryption. The proposed scheme is evaluated by simulation, and the experimental result shows its correctness, effectiveness and practicability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry and Asymmetry in Information Security and Network Security)

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10 pages, 2704 KiB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Deep Learning-Based Coverless Image Steganography on Medical Images Shared via Cloud

by Ambika, Virupakshappa and Deepak S. Uplaonkar

Eng. Proc. 2023, 59(1), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2023059176 - 18 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1564

Abstract

Coverless image steganography is an approach for creating images with intrinsic colour and texture information that contain hidden secret information. Recently, generative adversarial networks’ (GANs) deep learning transformers have been used to generate secret hidden images. Although it has been proven that this [...] Read more.

Coverless image steganography is an approach for creating images with intrinsic colour and texture information that contain hidden secret information. Recently, generative adversarial networks’ (GANs) deep learning transformers have been used to generate secret hidden images. Although it has been proven that this approach is resistant to steganalysis attacks, it modifies critical information in the images which makes the images not suitable for applications like disease diagnosis from medical images shared over cloud. The colour and textural modification introduced by GANs affects the feature vector which is extracted from certain image regions and used for disease diagnosis. To solve this problem, this work proposes an attention-guided GAN which transforms images only in certain regions and retains the originality of images in certain regions. Due to this, there is not much distortion to features and disease classification accuracy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Proceedings of Eng. Proc., 2023, RAiSE-2023)

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15 pages, 4438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Design of Multi-Party Reversible Data Hiding over Ciphered Overexposed Images

by Bing Chen, Ranran Yang, Wanhan Fang, Xiuye Zhan and Jun Cai

Symmetry 2024, 16(1), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16010045 - 29 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1010

Abstract

Multi-party reversible data hiding over ciphered images (MRDH-CI) has high restorability since the image is split into multiple ciphered images by secret sharing. However, the MRDH-CI methods either fail to produce satisfied results, or only work well for conventional images. This paper introduces [...] Read more.

Multi-party reversible data hiding over ciphered images (MRDH-CI) has high restorability since the image is split into multiple ciphered images by secret sharing. However, the MRDH-CI methods either fail to produce satisfied results, or only work well for conventional images. This paper introduces a multi-party reversible data-hiding approach over ciphered overexposed images. First, the pixels of the overexposed images are decomposed into two parts, each of which can be used for secret sharing. Then, the decomposed overexposed images are converted into multiple ciphered overexposed images by using a modified secret sharing method, in which the differences of the ciphered overexposed images are retained. The symmetry of the difference retaining makes the secret data conceal within the ciphered overexposed images such that the marked ciphered overexposed images can be created. Finally, by collecting sufficient marked ciphered overexposed images, it is possible to symmetrically reconstruct the concealed data and primitive overexposed image. Experimental results illustrate that the presented method can efficiently deal with overexposed images while maintaining a low computational overhead. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry and Asymmetry in Information Security and Network Security)

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13 pages, 4835 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Matrix Coding-Oriented Reversible Data Hiding Scheme Using Dual Digital Images

by Jui-Chuan Liu, Ching-Chun Chang, Yijie Lin, Chin-Chen Chang and Ji-Hwei Horng

Mathematics 2024, 12(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12010086 - 26 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1047

Abstract

With the development of Internet technology, information security and data protection have become particularly important. Reversible data hiding is an effective technique for data integrity and privacy protection, and secret image sharing is a distinct research field within reversible data hiding. Due to [...] Read more.

With the development of Internet technology, information security and data protection have become particularly important. Reversible data hiding is an effective technique for data integrity and privacy protection, and secret image sharing is a distinct research field within reversible data hiding. Due to the ability of sharing secret information between two receivers and the larger embedding capacity compared to the traditional reversible data hiding scheme, dual digital images have also attracted extensive research in the past decade. In this paper, we propose a reversible data hiding scheme based on matrix coding using dual digital images. By modifying the bits in the pixels, we can conceal three bits of the secret message in two pixels. In other words, the embedding rate reaches 1.5 bits per pixel (bpp). The experimental results demonstrate that our method has a significantly larger embedding capacity of 786,432 bits compared to previous similar methods while still maintaining acceptable image quality defined by a peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) greater than 30 dB. The proposed scheme is suitable for applications required to pass a large amount of data but with minor security of image quality to be visually acceptable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Data Hiding, Steganography and Its Application)

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