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

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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.

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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Dejan Uljarević, Mladen Veinović, Goran Kunjadić & Dejan Tepšić

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  1. Dejan Uljarević
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  2. Mladen Veinović
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  3. Goran Kunjadić
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  4. Dejan Tepšić
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Correspondence to Dejan Uljarević.

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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

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