1. BCI3005 Digital Watermarking and Steganography
L T P J C
3 0 0 4 4
Objectives
1. To develop an understanding of digital watermarking and steganography basics,
various approaches, characteristics and application domains
2. To apply digital watermarking as an authentication tool for distribution of content
over the Internet and steganography techniques for covert communication
3. To understand the basics of the counter measures like steganalysis for assessing the
data hiding methods
4. To enable to evaluate and choose appropriate data hiding technique based on a
multitude of security factors
Expected Outcome
After completion of this course, the student shall be able to:
1. Describe watermarking and steganography fundamental concepts and principles.
2. Identify and assess different types of data hiding techniques in various image
formats like GIF, BMP etc., and various data hiding methods like LSB, EzStego,
OutGuess, and F5.
3. Describe the block codes and its usage for covert communication
4. Demonstrate the use of watermarking for copyright protection and steganography
for secret communication in various digital media
5. Design and implement efficient data hiding methods
6. Assess the strength of any data hiding algorithm against steganalysis techniques.
Student Learning
Outcome
1) Having an ability to apply mathematics and science in engineering applications
2) Having a clear understanding of the subject related concepts and of contemporary
issues
10) Having a clear understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
14) Having an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyse and
interpret data
15) Having an ability to use techniques, skills and modern engineering tools
necessary for engineering practice
Proceedings of the 44th Academic Council [16.3.2017]
2. Module Topics L Hrs SLO
1 DATA HIDING - Relationship between Watermarking and Steganography.
Digital Watermarking Basics: Models of Watermarking, Basic Message Coding,
Error Coding. Digital Watermarking Theoretic Aspects: Mutual Information and
Channel Capacity, Designing a Good Digital Mark, Theoretical Analysis of
Digital Watermarking Types of Watermarking Fragile, Semi-Fragile.
5 1,2
2 SPREAD SPECTRUM WATERMARKING - Transform Domain
Watermarking, Quantization Watermarking. Protocols: Buyer Seller
Watermarking Protocols, Efficient and Anonymous Buyer-Seller Watermarking
Protocol
5 1,2
3 STEGANOGRAPHY Introduction - Text Steganography Image
Steganography: Data Hiding in Raw (BMP) Images - LSB (Least Significant Bit)
Embedding - Data Hiding by Mimicking Device Noise (Stochastic Modulation).
Data Hiding in Palette (GIF) Images - Palette Formats (GIF) - Hiding by
Decreasing Colour Depth, Gifshuffle, - Optimal Palette Parity Assignment. Data
Hiding in JPEG Images - JPEG Format - J-Steg Data Hiding Algorithm
Hiding in Spatial Domain Hiding in Transform Domain Image Quality
Metrics
8 1,10
4 AUDIO STEGANOGRAPHY - Temporal Domain Techniques - Low-Bit
Encoding - Echo Hiding - Hiding in Silence Intervals. Transform Domain
Hiding Techniques - Magnitude Spectrum - Tone Insertion - Phase Coding -
Amplitude Coding - Cepstral Domain Codecs Domain: Codebook
Modification Bit stream Hiding Audio Quality Metrics
6 1,10
5 VIDEO STEGANOGRAPHY- Introduction Video Streams - Substitution-
Based Techniques - Transform Domain Techniques - Adaptive Techniques -
Format-Based Techniques - Cover Generation Techniques Video Quality
Metrics - Perceptual Transparency Analysis - Robustness against Compression -
Robustness against Manipulation
6 1,2
6 WET PAPER CODES - Random Linear Codes - LT Codes - Perturbed
Quantization, Matrix Embedding - Matrix Embedding Theorem - Binary
6 1,2
Proceedings of the 44th Academic Council [16.3.2017]
3. Knowledge Areas that contain topics and learning outcomes covered in the course
Knowledge Area Total Hours of Coverage
Hamming Codes, Q-Ary Case Random Linear Codes for Large Payloads
7 STEGANALYSIS - Principles, Approaches, ROC Analysis - Sample Pairs
Analysis - Attacks using Histogram Characteristic Function - Spatial Domain
Steganalysis using Higher Order Statistics - Steganalysis using Resampling
Calibration - Feature Selection - Calibration by Recompression
7 2,17
8 Contemporary Issues (To be handled by experts from industry)
2 2
Project
Generally a team project [2 to 3members]
Innovative idea should be attempted
Sample projects include:
a. LSB, PVD, DCT, DWT data hiding
b. Claiming ownership of digital entity
c. Tracing the digital theft in cyber space
d. Wet paper coding
e. Universal steganalysis based on histogram features, higher order
statistical features
f. Target steganalysis
g. Data hiding in different image types png, GIF, jpeg, bmp etc.
h. Reversible data hiding in images
i. Steganography in transform domain DCT, DWT, Curvelet etc
j. Steganography in encrypted images Two layer security
60[Non
Contact]
14
Text Books
1. I. J. Cox, M. L. Miller, J. A. Bloom, T. Kalker, and J. Fridrich, Digital Watermarking and Steganography, 2nd Ed.
Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers In, 2007. (ISBN No. : 978-0-12-372585-1 )
2. J. Fridrich, Steganography in Digital Media: Principles, Algorithms, and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2009. (ISBN No.: 978-0-52-119019-0 )
Reference Books
1. R. C. Gonzalez, R. E. Woods, D. J. Czitrom, and S. Armitage, Digital Image Processing, 3rd Ed. United States:
Prentice Hall, 2007. (ISBN No.: 978-0-13-168728-8 )
2. P. Wayner, Disappearing Cryptography: Information hiding: Steganography and Watermarking, 3rd ed.
Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers In, 2008. (ISBN No. : 978-0-08-092270-6 )
3. M. Arnold, M. Schmucker, and S. D. Wolthusen, Techniques and applications of digital Watermarking and
content protection, 2nd Ed. Boston, MA: Artech House Publishers, 2003. (ISBN No.: 978-1-58-053664-6 )
Proceedings of the 44th Academic Council [16.3.2017]
4. CE: SEC (Information Security) 45
Body of Knowledge coverage
KA Knowledge Unit Topics Covered (Refer ACM Course Page) Hours
CE:
SEC
History, overview and
principles
Module 1 - Data hiding history - Relationship between
watermarking and steganography. Digital Watermarking
Basics: Models of Watermarking, Basic Message Coding,
Error Coding. Digital Watermarking Theoretic Aspects:
Mutual information and channel capacity, Designing a
good digital mark, Theoretical analysis of digital
watermarking
5
CE:
SEC
Relevant tools, standards,
and/or engineering
constraints
Module 2 - Spread Spectrum Watermarking, Transform
Domain Watermarking, Quantization Watermarking.
Protocols: Buyer seller watermarking protocols, Efficient
and Anonymous Buyer-Seller Watermarking Protocol
6
CE:
SEC
Data security and integrity Module 3 Steganography Introduction - Text
steganography Image steganography: Data hiding in raw
(BMP) images - LSB (least significant bit) embedding - -
Data hiding by mimicking device noise (Stochastic
Modulation). Data hiding in palette (GIF) images -
Palette formats (GIF) - Hiding by decreasing colour depth,
GIFshuffle, - optimal palette parity assignment. Data
hiding in JPEG images - JPEG format - J-Steg data
hiding algorithm Hiding in spatial domain Hiding in
transform domain Image Quality Metrics
Module 4 - Audio steganography: Temporal domain
Techniques - Low-bit encoding - Echo hiding - Hiding
in silence intervals. Transform Domain Hiding Techniques
- Magnitude spectrum - Tone insertion - Phase coding -
Amplitude coding - Cepstral domain Codecs domain:
Codebook modification Bitstream hiding Audio
Quality Metrics
Module 5 - Video steganography: Introduction Video
streams - Substitution-based techniques - Transform
domain techniques - Adaptive techniques - Format-based
techniques - Cover generation techniques Video Quality
14
Proceedings of the 44th Academic Council [16.3.2017]
5. Metrics - Perceptual transparency analysis - Robustness
against compression - Robustness against manipulation
CE:
SEC
Secret and public key
cryptography
Module 6 - Wet paper codes - Random linear codes - LT
codes - Perturbed quantization, Matrix embedding - Matrix
embedding theorem - Binary Hamming codes, q-ary case
random linear codes for large payloads
11
CE:
SEC
Side Channel Attacks Module 7 - Principles, Approaches, ROC Analysis -
Sample pairs analysis - Attacks using histogram
characteristic function - Spatial domain steganalysis using
higher order statistics - Steganalysis using resampling
calibration - feature selection - Calibration by
recompression
7
Where does the course fit in the curriculum?
This course is a
Core Course.
Suitable from 2nd semester onwards.
Programming knowledge in C/ Java
What is covered in the course?
Part I: Watermarking Fundamentals
This section introduces the basic concepts of digital watermarking, models, coding, types and approaches of
watermarking. It also describes the buyer-seller protocol for general watermarking scheme.
Part II: Image Steganography
This section briefs about the various techniques of image steganography methods, hiding in raw images,
compressed images and palette images. It also covers the spatial and transform domain data hiding methods
in detail.
Part III: Audio Steganography
This section details the various audio steganography techniques like temporal domain and transform domain
techniques. It also discusses the audio quality metrics used to assess the strength of audio steganography
techniques.
Part IV: Video Steganography
This section briefs about the various video steganography techniques like substitution-based techniques,
transform domain techniques, adaptive techniques, format-based techniques, cover generation techniques. It
also discusses the video quality metrics used to assess the strength of video steganography techniques.
Part V: Steganalysis
This section deals with various steganalysis methods, universal, blind, histogram based attacks, higher order
statistical features, calibrated features and the ways to express the classification like ROC.
What is the format of the course?
Proceedings of the 44th Academic Council [16.3.2017]
6. This course is designed with 3 hours of lecture every week, 60 minutes of video/reading instructional material
per week. Generally this course should have the combination of lectures, in-class discussion, case studies,
guest-lectures, mandatory off-class reading material, quizzes.
How are students assessed?
Students are assessed on a combination group activities, classroom discussion, projects, and
continuous, final assessment tests.
Additional weightage will be given based on their rank in developing applications during lab.
Students can earn additional weightage based on certificate of completion of a related MOOC
course.
Session wise plan
Sl.
No
Topics Covered Class
Hour
Lab
Hour
Levels of
mastery
Reference
Book
1 Data hiding history - Relationship between
watermarking and steganography. Digital
Watermarking Basics: Models of Watermarking, Basic
Message Coding, Error Coding.
2 Familiarity T1, R32
2 Digital Watermarking Theoretic Aspects: Mutual
information and channel capacity, Designing a good
digital mark, Theoretical analysis of digital
watermarking
3 Familiarity T1, R3
3 Spread Spectrum Watermarking, Transform Domain
Watermarking, Quantization Watermarking.
3 Familiarity T1, R3
4 Protocols: Buyer seller watermarking protocols,
Efficient and Anonymous Buyer-Seller Watermarking
Protocol
2 Familiarity T1, R3
5 Steganography Introduction - Text steganography
Image steganography: Data hiding in raw (BMP)
images - LSB (least significant bit) embedding - Data
hiding by mimicking device noise (Stochastic
Modulation).
3 Familiarity T2, R2
6 Data hiding in palette (GIF) images - Palette formats
(GIF) - Hiding by decreasing colour depth,
GIFshuffle, - optimal palette parity assignment.
2 Usage T2, R2
7 Data hiding in JPEG images - JPEG format - J-Steg
data hiding algorithm Hiding in spatial domain
Hiding in transform domain
2 Familiarity T2
8 Image Quality Metrics 1 Usage T2
9 Audio steganography: Temporal domain Techniques
- Low-bit encoding - Echo hiding - Hiding in
2 Usage T2, R2
Proceedings of the 44th Academic Council [16.3.2017]
7. silence intervals.
10 Transform Domain Hiding Techniques - Magnitude
spectrum - Tone insertion - Phase coding -
Amplitude coding - Cepstral domain Codecs
domain: Codebook modification Bitstream hiding
3 Usage T2, R2
11 Audio Quality Metrics 1 Familiarity T2
12 Video steganography: Introduction Video streams -
Substitution-based techniques - Transform domain
techniques
2 Familiarity T2
13 Adaptive techniques - Format-based techniques -
Cover generation techniques
2 Familiarity T2
14 Video Quality Metrics - Perceptual transparency
analysis - Robustness against compression -
Robustness against manipulation
2 Familiarity T2
15 Wet paper codes - Random linear codes - LT codes -
Perturbed quantization, Matrix embedding
3 Familiarity T2
16 Matrix embedding theorem - Binary Hamming codes,
q-ary case random linear codes for large payloads
3 Familiarity T2
17 Steganalysis - Principles, Approaches, ROC analysis,
Sample pairs analysis
2 Assessment T2
18 Attacks using histogram characteristic function -
Spatial domain steganalysis using higher order
statistics
2 Familiarity T2
19 Steganalysis using resampling calibration - feature
selection - Calibration by recompression
3
Familiarity T2, R2
20 Contemporary Issues 2 Familiarity
Proceedings of the 44th Academic Council [16.3.2017]