Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Portable real-time DCT-based steganography using OpenCL

  • Special Issue Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Real-Time Image Processing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, a steganographic method for real-time data hiding is proposed. The main goal of the research is to develop steganographic method with increased robustness to unintentional image processing attacks. In addition, we prove the validity of the method in real-time applications. The method is based on a discrete cosine transform (DCT) where the values of a DCT coefficients are modified in order to hide data. This modification is invisible to a human observer. We further the investigation by implementing the proposed method using different target architectures and analyze their performance. Results show that the proposed method is very robust to image compression, scaling and blurring. In addition, modification of the image is imperceptible even though the number of embedded bits is high. The steganalysis of the method shows that the detection of the modification of the image is unreliable for a lower relative payload size embedded. Analysis of OpenCL implementation of the proposed method on four different target architectures shows considerable speedups.

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
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alvarez, P.: Using extended file information (EXIF) file headers in digital evidence analysis. Int. J. Digit. Evid. 2(3), 1–5 (2004)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. AMD (2015a) AMD A series APU processors,15.6.2015. http://www.amd.com/en-us/products/processors/desktop/a-series-apu

  3. AMD (2015b) AMD Radeon HD 8670d, 15.6.2015. http://www.pc-specs.com/gpu/AMD/APU_Family/Radeon_HD_8670D/1787

  4. Bamatraf, A., Ibrahim, R., Salleh, M.N.B.M.: Digital watermarking algorithm using LSB. In: 2010 International Conference on Computer Applications and Industrial Electronics, IEEE, Iccaie, pp. 155–159 (2010). doi:10.1109/ICCAIE.2010.5735066, http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=5735066

  5. Bhatnagar, G., Raman, B.: A new robust reference watermarking scheme based on DWT-SVD. Comput. Stand. Interfaces 31(5), 1002–1013 (2009). doi:10.1016/j.csi.2008.09.031, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0920548908001499

  6. Celik, M., Sharma, G., Tekalp, A., Saber, E.: Lossless generalized-LSB data embedding. In: IEEE Transactions on Image Processing 14(2), 253–266 (2005). doi:10.1109/TIP.2004.840686, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15700530 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=1381493

  7. Cheddad, A., Condell, J., Curran, K., Mc Kevitt, P.: Digital image steganography: Survey and analysis of current methods. Signal Process. 90(3), 727–752 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.sigpro.2009.08.010. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0165168409003648

  8. Cox, I., Miller, M., Bloom, J., Fridrich, J., Kalker, T.: Digital Watermarking and Steganography, 2nd edn. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, San Francisco (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  9. CUDA (2016) CUDA toolkit documentation-sample reference. http://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-samples

  10. Dey, S., Abraham, A., Sanyal, S.: An LSB data hiding technique using prime numbers. In: Third International Symposium on Information Assurance and Security, IEEE 1, 101–108 (2007). doi:10.1109/IAS.2007.37. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=4299758

  11. Dosselmann, R., Yang, X.D.: A comprehensive assessment of the structural similarity index. SIViP 5(1), 81–91 (2011). doi:10.1007/s11760-009-0144-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Groups, K.: OpenCL Consortium. https://www.khronos.org/opencl (2016)

  13. Hashad, A., Madani, A., Wahdan, A.M.a.: A robust steganography technique using discrete cosine transform insertion. In: 2005 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology, IEEE, Cairo, pp. 255–264 (2005). doi:10.1109/ITICT.2005.1609628. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=1609628

  14. Kang, X., Huang, J., Member, S., Zeng, W.: Efficient general print-scanning resilient data hiding based on uniform log-polar mapping. In: IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security 5(1), 1–12 (2010). doi:10.1109/TIFS.2009.2039604. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=5378607

  15. Kedmenec, L., Poljicak, A., Mandic, L.: Copyright protection of images on a social network. In: Proceedings ELMAR-2014, IEEE, September, pp. 1–4 (2014). doi:10.1109/ELMAR.2014.6923345. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=6923345

  16. Kee, E., Johnson, M.K., Farid, H.: Digital image authentication from JPEG headers. In: IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security 6(3), 1066–1075 (2011). doi:10.1109/TIFS.2011.2128309. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=5732683

  17. Kodovský, J., Fridrich, J., Holub, V.: Ensemble classifiers for steganalysis of digital media. IEEE Trans. Inf. Forensics Secur. 7(2), 432–444 (2012). doi:10.1109/TIFS.2011.2175919

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kurak, C., McHugh, J.: A cautionary note on image downgrading. In: 1992 Proceedings Eighth Annual Computer Security Application Conference, IEEE Comput. Soc. Press, pp. 153–159 (1992). doi:10.1109/CSAC.1992.228224. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=228224 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=228224

  19. Lu, W., Sun, W., Lu, H.: Robust watermarking based on DWT and nonnegative matrix factorization. Computers & Electrical Engineering 35(1), 183–188 (2009). doi:10.1016/j.compeleceng.2008.09.004. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0045790608001067

  20. Naveed, I., Puech, W.: Data cryptography. In: Naït-Ali, A., Fournier, R. (eds.) Signal and image processing for biometrics. Wiley, Hoboken, pp. 263–277 (2013). doi:10.1002/9781118561911.ch13.

  21. Parthasarathy, A., Kak, S.: An Improved method of content based image watermarking. IEEE Trans. Broadcast. 53(2), 468–479 (2007). doi:10.1109/TBC.2007.894947. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=4215117

  22. Pevny, T., Fridrich, J.: Merging Markov and DCT features for multi-class JPEG steganalysis. Proc SPIE 6505(650), 503 (2007). doi:10.1117/12.696774. http://link.aip.org/link/?PSISDG/6505/650503/1

  23. Poljicak, A., Mandic, L., Agic, D.: Discrete fourier transformbased watermarking method with an optimal implementation radius. J. Electron. Imaging 20(3):033,008 (2011). doi:10.1117/1.3609010. http://link.aip.org/link/JEIME5/v20/i3/p033008/s1 \(\{\)&\(\}\)Agg=doi

  24. Scarpino, M.: OpenCL in Action: How to Accelerate Graphics and Computation. NY (2012)

  25. Schneier, B.: Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithm, and Source Code in C, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York (1995)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Shi, Y., Chen, C., Chen, W.: A Markov process-based approach to effective attacking JPEG steganography. Inf. Hiding, pp. 249–264 (2007). doi:10.1007/978-3-540-74124-4. http://www.springerlink.com/index/c308w1674110v420.pdf

  27. Sung, T., Shieh, Y., Yu, C., Hsin, H.: High-efficiency and low-power architectures for 2-d dct and idct based on cordic rotation. In: Seventh International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing, Applications and Technologies, 2006. PDCAT ’06, pp. 191–196 (2006). doi:10.1109/PDCAT.2006.70

  28. Wang, Z., Bovik, A.C., Sheikh, H.R., Simoncelli, E.P.: Image quality assessment: from error visibility to structural similarity. IEEE Trans. Image Process. 13(4), 600–612 (2004). doi:10.1109/TIP.2003.819861

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Ante Poljicak & Luka Kedmenec

  2. Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Guillermo Botella, Carlos Garcia & Manuel Prieto-Matias

Authors
  1. Ante Poljicak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guillermo Botella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carlos Garcia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Luka Kedmenec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Manuel Prieto-Matias
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ante Poljicak.

Additional information

This work has been  supported by the EU (FEDER) and the Spanish MINECO, under grants TIN 2015-65277-R and TIN2012-32180.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Poljicak, A., Botella, G., Garcia, C. et al. Portable real-time DCT-based steganography using OpenCL. J Real-Time Image Proc 14, 87–99 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11554-016-0616-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11554-016-0616-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation