Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An image distortion-based enhanced embedding scheme

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Iran Journal of Computer Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many clandestine applications send their secret information, e.g., investigation reports, to a destination by implanting them into an image document, like forensic evidence. In that case, both the document and the implanted information are secret and equally important. To protect the document’s information, called the cover information, from being disclosed, many reversible data embedding (RDE) schemes first destroy the cover information intentionally and then embed secrets into these destroyed contents. A reversible process in the receiver end retrieves both the implanted secrets and the cover information. The existing schemes suffer from less embedding capacity, i.e., embedded bits per pixel (bpp), because their reversible processes either are unable to implant bit(s) into every pixel or implant a chunk of message bits into a group of pixels where the length of the message bits is smaller than the number of pixels in the group. The article proposes a novel distortion-based RDE scheme that achieves an embedding capacity of 2\(^{n}\) bpp, where \(0\le n \le 3\). The proposed scheme destroys the information in the image before and after the data implantation task to strongly obliterate both the cover information and the embedded bits. During implementing this proposed process, the scheme establishes seven levels of encapsulated securities and, thus, strengthens the security of the scheme. The maximum embedding capacity and the lowest level of image distortion that are achieved by the proposed scheme are 8 bpp and 5 dB, respectively. These two values significantly dominate the same figures that are achieved in its competing schemes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ulutas, M., Ulutas, G., Nabiyev, V.V.: Medical image security and EPR hiding using Shamir’s secret sharing scheme. J. Syst. Softw. 84(3), 341–353 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kamal, A.H.M., Islam, M.M.: Facilitating and securing offline e-medicine service through image steganography. Healthc. Technol. Lett. 1(2), 74–79 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Wien, H., Chen, T.-S.: A novel data embedding method using adaptive pixel pair matching. Inf. Forensics Secur. IEEE Trans. 7(1), 176–184 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Brindha, S., Vennila, I.: Hiding fingerprint in face using scattered LSB embedding steganographic technique for smart card based authentication system. Int. J. Comput. Appl. 26(10), 51–55 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chao, R.-M., et al.: A novel image data hiding scheme with diamond encoding. EURASIP J. Inf. Secur. 1, 658047 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hong, W., Tung-Shou, C., Chih-Wei, L.: Data embedding using pixel value differencing and diamond encoding with multiple-base notational system. J. Syst. Softw. 85(5), 1166–1175 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Liao, X., Wen, Q., Zhang, J.: A steganographic method for digital images with four-pixel differencing and modified LSB substitution. J. Vis. Commun. Image Represent. 22(1), 1–8 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kamal, A.H.M., Islam, M.M.: Enhancing the performance of the data embedment process through encoding errors. J. Electron. 5(4), 79–95 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kamal, A.H.M., Islam, M.M.: Enhancing embedding capacity and stego image quality by employing multi predictors. J. Inf. Secur. Appl. 32, 59–74 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kamal, A.H.M., Islam, M.M.: Boosting up the data hiding rate multi cycle embedment process. J. Vis. Commun. Image Represent. 40, 574–588 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kamal, A.H.M., Islam M.M.: Capacity improvement of reversible data hiding scheme through better prediction and double cycle embedding process. In: Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Advanced Networks and Telecommunications Systems (ANTS), 16–18 December, Kolkata, India (2015)

  12. Kamal, A.H.M., Islam M.M.: Enhancing the embedding payload by handling the affair of association and mapping of block pixels through prediction errors histogram. In: Proceedings of International Conference on Networking, Systems and Security (NSysS), BUET, 5–8 January, Dhaka (2016)

  13. Habiba, S., Kamal, A.H.M., Islam, M.M.: Enhancing the robustness of visual degradation based HAM reversible data hiding. J. Comput. Sci. 12(2), 88–97 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ong, S.Y., Wong, K.S., Tanaka, K.: Scrambling-embedding for JPEG compressed image. Signal Process. 109, 38–53 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Zhang, X., et al.: Efficient reversible data hiding in encrypted images. J. Vis. Commun. Image Represent. 25(2), 322–328 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Liao, X., Shu, C.: Reversible data hiding in encrypted images based on absolute mean difference of multiple neighboring pixels. J. Vis. Commun. Image Represent. 28, 21–27 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hong, W., Chen, T.-S.: A local variance-controlled reversible data hiding method using prediction and histogram-shifting. J. Syst. Softw. 83(12), 2653–2663 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hong, W.: Adaptive reversible data hiding method based on error energy control and histogram shifting. Opt. Commun. 285(2), 101–108 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Tai, W.-L., Yeh, C.-M., Chang, C.-C.: Reversible data hiding based on histogram modification of pixel differences. Circ. Syst. Video Technol. IEEE Trans. 19(6), 906–910 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ou, B., et al.: Reversible data hiding based on PDE predictor. J. Syst. Softw. 86(10), 2700–2709 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yang, W.-J., et al.: Efficient reversible data hiding algorithm based on gradient-based edge direction prediction. J. Syst. Softw. 86(2), 567–580 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Chen, X., et al.: Reversible watermarking method based on asymmetric-histogram shifting of prediction errors. J. Syst. Softw. 86(10), 2620–2626 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Tsai, P., Hu, Y.-C., Yeh, H.-L.: Reversible image hiding scheme using predictive coding and histogram shifting. Signal Process. 89(6), 1129–1143 (2009)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Lu, Y.-Y., Huang, H.-C.: Adaptive reversible data hiding with pyramidal structure. Vietnam J. Comput. Sci. 1(3), 179–191 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Ma, X., et al.: High-fidelity reversible data hiding scheme based on multi-predictor sorting and selecting mechanism. J. Vis. Commun. Image Represent. 28, 71–82 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Leung, H.Y., et al.: Adaptive reversible data hiding based on block median preservation and modification of prediction errors. J. Syst. Softw. 86(8), 2204–2219 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Chang, I.-C., Hu, Y.-C., Chen, W.-L., Lo, C.-C.: High capacity reversible data hiding scheme based on residual histogram shifting for block truncation coding. Signal Process. 108, 376–388 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Liao, X., Wen, Q.Y., Zhang, J.: A steganographic method for digital images with four-pixel differencing and modified LSB substitution. J. Vis. Commun. Image Represent. 22(1), 1–8 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Zhao, Z., Luo, H., Lu, Z.-M., Pan, J.-S.: Reversible data hiding based on multilevel histogram modification and sequential recovery. Int. J. Electron. Commun. (AEÜ) 65, 814–826 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author AHMK is funded by the ICT division of the Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology of the Government of Bangladesh through a fellowship program. Therefore, the authors like to acknowledge the stated ministry of Bangladesh.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Bangladesh

    A. H. M. Kamal

  2. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    A. H. M. Kamal & Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam

Authors
  1. A. H. M. Kamal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. H. M. Kamal.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors do not have any economical interest from the aticle. The first author is a PhD student and working under the supervision of the second author. To meet the requirement for achieving the PhD degree, the first author has to publish his research works on ranked journals published by well-recognized publishers. Therefore, the authors have chosen this journal to publish the work. Both the authors are aware of the ubmission. The first author is a fellow of ICT division of the Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology of the Government of Bangladesh. However, the fellowship neither covers any publication charges nor claims any financial interest from the research.

Author contributions

The first author, AHMK is a PhD student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. He is working under the supervision of second author, MMI. Hence, the whole work was supervised and guided by MMI. Mr. MMI has been consulted all the way to the progress of the research work by the author AHMK. Mr. AHMK completed the experiments and made the draft of the manuscript. Mr. MMI revised the manuscript and gave final approval to submit it to that journal.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kamal, A.H.M., Islam, M.M. An image distortion-based enhanced embedding scheme. Iran J Comput Sci 1, 175–186 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42044-018-0016-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42044-018-0016-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation