TWC: Medium: Steganography in Empirical Sources Using Acquisition Oracle

该项目专注于推进数字图像隐写术领域——一种隐蔽的通信方式，其中信息隐藏在其他物体中，如数字媒体文件，以确保隐私。对于一个安全的隐写系统，它应该是不可能证明隐藏数据的存在。在实践中实现这种级别的安全性是非常困难的，因为数字媒体很难用精确的统计模型来描述，而精确的统计模型是保证完美安全性所必需的。该项目使用获取图像的设备来学习一个足够精确的模型，在这个模型中，可以构建具有可验证安全性和性能的隐写术，这可以与理论上可实现的限制进行对比。其结果是，在禁止使用加密的国家或在敌对环境中，当需要通过对手控制的渠道或通过公共、不安全的渠道进行通信而不引起注意时，需要一种新颖的先进隐私工具。另一方面，更深入地了解秘密通信的局限性将有助于更好地防御这种欺骗方法，这种努力被认为是隐写分析。该项目探索了数据隐藏的商业应用，包括信号认证、完整性验证和安全数据传播。该研究在可信信息交换、数据挖掘、信息保障、网络与计算机安全、反欺骗、入侵检测与防御等领域具有重要意义。

The project focuses on advancing the field of digital image steganography -- a covert way of communication in which information is hidden in other objects, such as digital media files, to assure privacy. For a secure steganographic system, it should be impossible to prove the presence of hidden data. Achieving this level of security in practice is extraordinarily difficult because digital media is hard to describe using statistical models with accuracy necessary to guarantee perfect security. This project works with devices that acquire an image to learn a sufficiently accurate model within which it becomes possible to construct steganography with a verifiable level of security and performance that can be contrasted with theoretically achievable limits. The result is a novel advanced privacy tool needed in countries that prohibit the use of encryption or in a hostile environment when there is need to communicate without attracting attention via channels in control of an adversary or via public, insecure channels. On the other hand, a deeper understanding of the limits of covert communication will facilitate better defense against such methods of deception, an effort recognized as steganalysis. The project explores commercial applications of data hiding include signal authentication, integrity verification, and secure data dissemination. This research contributes to trusted information exchange, data mining, information assurance, network and computer security, counter-deception, and intrusion detection and its prevention.