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Visual Cryptography

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Encyclopedia of Biometrics

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Definition

Visual cryptography is a method for encrypting visual information such as images where the decryption is accomplished without the need for complex mathematical algorithms. In this method, a secret image is encrypted into n random noise images known as sheets such that decryption is possible only when at least k of the n sheets are available and combined using a logical operator; combining less than ksheets does not reveal the secret image. Visual cryptography has been utilized to preserve the privacy of raw digital biometric data stored in a central database. An input biometric image (or template) is decomposed into two components such that the original data can only be recovered when both components are simultaneously available; individual components cannot be easily matched against the original input biometric data, thereby de-identifying (i.e., obscuring) the identity of the input data. This approach has been tested on the face, fingerprint, and iris modalities in the...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Asem Othman & Arun Ross

Authors
  1. Asem Othman
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  2. Arun Ross
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biometrics and Security, Research & National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Stan Z. Li

  2. Departments of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Anil K. Jain

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Othman, A., Ross, A. (2015). Visual Cryptography. In: Li, S.Z., Jain, A.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biometrics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7488-4_9077

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