Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

A new way of covert communication by steganography via JPEG images within a Microsoft Word document

  • Special Issue Paper
  • Published:
Multimedia Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze steganography as one of the branches in the application of secret and secure communication. Starting with an overview of steganographic methods and techniques of concealing information in various data formats, we then introduce a new system of information transfer within Microsoft Word documents via JPEG images previously processed with a steganographic tool StegApp 1.1.0, developed by the authors. This steganographic tool is based on the transformation of the JPEG image with a domain transformation technique with parameters obtained by the discrete cosine transform. In order to check the level of protection and performance of the StegApp 1.1.0 tool, it is qualitatively compared to the commercial SteganPEG tool, which works and encodes data in JPEG images in a similar way.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

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

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Secret encoding and decoding key by the application of the symmetric encryption system.

  2. Steganography medium − multimedia file (image) where a secret message is inserted.

  3. Steganography object – formed multimedia file (image) that hides a secret message.

  4. Steganography tool for hiding a message.

  5. Secret message that is distributed.

References

  1. Wayner, P.: Disappearing Cryptography: Information Hiding: Steganography & Watermarking. Morgan Kaufmann, Burlington (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lui, C.S.: Multimedia Security: Steganography and Digital Watermarking Techniques for Protection of Intellectual Property. Idea Group Inc. (IGI), Hershey (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fridrich, J.: Steganography in Digital Media: Principles, Algorithms, and Applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2009)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Kipper, G.: Investigator’s Guide to Steganography. CRC Press, Boca Raton (2003)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Barni, M., Ingemar, C., Ton, K., Hyoung, J.K.: Digital Watermarking. IWDW, Siena (2005)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. Andriotis, P., Oikonomou, G., Tryfonas, T.: JPEG steganography detection with Benford’s Law. Dig. Investig. 9, 1742–2876 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Eason, J.T.L., Rao, N.V.: Metamorphic cryptography—a paradox between cryptography and steganography using dynamic encryption. In IEEE—International Conference on Recent Trends in Information Technology, ICRTIT, pp. 217–222 (2011)

  8. Farid, H.: Detecting hidden messages using higher-order statistics models. In: Proceedings of EEE Int. Conf. Image Processing, pp. 905–908. IEEE, New York (2002)

  9. Mohammad, J.K., Ahmad, R.N.N.: A novel joint secret image sharing and robust steganography method using wavelet. Multimed. Syst. 20(2), 215–226 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Mehdi, H., Mureed, H.: A survey of image steganography techniques. Int. J. Adv. Sci. Technol. 97, 10–20 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Zhenjun, T., Xianquan, Z., Shichao, Z.: Robust perceptual image hashing based on ring partition and NMF. IEEE Knowl. Data Eng. 26, 711–724 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Xiaofeng, Z., Lei, Z., Zi, H.: A sparse embedding and least variance encoding approach to hashing image processing. IEEE Trans. Image Process. 23, 3737–3750 (2014)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Xiaofeng, Z., Zhang, S., Zhi, J., Zili, Z.: Missing value estimation for mixed-attribute data sets. IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng. 23, 110–121 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Xiaofeng, Z., Huang, H.C.Z., Jiangtao, C., Heng, T.S.: Sparse hashing for fast multimedia search. ACM Trans. Inf. Syst. 31, 9 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Cole, E.: Hiding in Plain Sight: Steganography and the Art of Covert Communication. Wiley, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Provos, N., Honeyman, P.: Hide and seek: an introduction to steganography. IEEE Secur. Priv. J. 1, 32–44 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Fridrich J., Goljan M., Hogea D.: Steganalysis of JPEG images: breaking the F5 algorithm. In Proceedings 5th International Workshop on Information Hiding, Noordwijkerhout, pp. 310–323 (2002)

  18. Bhaskaran V., Konstantinides, K.: The JPEG Standard. Image and Video Compression Standards (1995). ISBN: 978-1-4757-2360-1 (Print), 978-1-4757-2358-8 (Online)

  19. Fridrich J., Goljan M., Du R.: Steganalysis based on JPEG compatibility. In Special Session on Theoretical and Practical Issues in Digital Watermarking and Data Hiding. Multimedia Systems and Applications IV, Denver, pp. 275–280 (2001)

  20. Siddhartha B., Bibek R. G., Pratik R.: JPEG steganography and steganalysis—a review. In: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Frontiers of Intelligent Computing: Theory and Applications (FICTA) 2014. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, Vol. 328 (2015). ISBN: 978-3-319-12011-9 (Print) 978-3-319-12012-6 (Online)

  21. Nimje, S., et al.: Hiding existence of communication using image steganography. Int. J. Comput. Sci. Eng. 3, 2319–7242 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Swathi, K., Arijit, S.: Steganographic algorithm based on randomization of DCT kerne. Multimed. Tools Appl. 1573–7721(24), 1380–7501 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kou, W: JPEG compression standard. In: Digital Image Compression (1995). ISBN: 978-1-4419-5156-4 (Print), 978-1-4757-2361-8 (Online)

  24. Lukás, J., Fridrich, J.: Estimation of primary quantization matrix in double compressed JPEG images. In: Proceedings of DFRWS 2003. Cleveland (2003)

  25. Netravali AN, Haskell BG.: Basic compression techniques. In: Digital Pictures. Springer, Berlin (1995). ISBN: 978-1-4899-6820-3 (Print), 978-1-4899-6950-7 (Online)

  26. Jessica, F., Miroslav, G., David, S.: Perturbed quantization steganography. Multimed. Syst. 11(2), 98–107 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Sarkar, D., Nag, A., Biswas, S., Sarkar, P.: A novel technique for image steganography based on DWT and Huffman encoding. Int. J. Comput. Sci. Secur. 4, 497–610 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Hiroshi Y., Hayato F.: An implementation of steganography using construction of Huffman tree. In IEEE (2012). ISBN: 978-1-4673-2521-9 (Print)

  29. Reddy, V.L., Subramanyam, A., Reddy, P.C.: SteganPEG Steganography+ JPEG. Int. J. Comput. Gr. 2(1), 2231–3591 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Solomon, D., Motta, G.: Image compression. In: Handbook of Data Compression, pp. 443–730 (2010). ISBN: 978-1-84882-902-2 (Print), 978-1-84882-903-9 (Online)

  31. Victor O.W., Audu I., Abraham O.: Steganography and its applications in information dessimilation on the web using images as security embeddment: a wavelet approach. Int. J. Comput. Inf. Technol. (2012)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Postgraduate Studies and International Cooperation, Singidunum University, Belgrade, Serbia

    Dejan Uljarević, Mladen Veinović, Goran Kunjadić & Dejan Tepšić

Authors
  1. Dejan Uljarević
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mladen Veinović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  3. Goran Kunjadić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dejan Tepšić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dejan Uljarević.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Uljarević, D., Veinović, M., Kunjadić, G. et al. A new way of covert communication by steganography via JPEG images within a Microsoft Word document. Multimedia Systems 23, 333–341 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00530-015-0492-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00530-015-0492-3

Keywords