Abstract This paper introduces two novel quantum audio steganography methods that incorporate the logical properties of entangled qubits into the least significant qubit steganography (LSQb) approach. The first method, called entanglement-assisted probability adjustment LSB (EP-LSQb), optimizes the superposition probability of the lowest qubits before embedding the information. This addresses the ‘value-pairing’ problem and improves anti-statistical analysis performance and embedding efficiency. The second method, called quantum phase direct embedding LSB (PD-LSQb), extends traditional LSB steganography by directly embedding the secret speech into the least significant qubit. Quantum circuits are constructed for both methods to demonstrate their feasibility. Theoretical analysis and simulation experiments show that these methods exhibit good imperceptibility (\({\text{PSNR}}>50\)) and embedding efficiency. Particularly, EP-LSQb method enhances the theoretical limit of embedding efficiency when compared to its corresponding classical counterparts. Additionally, due to the inclusion of entangled qubit particles, our methods offer competitive content security and noise robustness, distinguishing them from classical LSB or general LSQb methods and highlighting the unique advantages of quantum approaches.
Abstract This paper introduces two novel quantum audio steganography methods that incorporate the logical properties of entangled qubits into the least significant qubit steganography (LSQb) approach. The first method, called entanglement-assisted probability adjustment LSB (EP-LSQb), optimizes the superposition probability of the lowest qubits before embedding the information. This addresses the ‘value-pairing’ problem and improves anti-statistical analysis performance and embedding efficiency. The second method, called quantum phase direct embedding LSB (PD-LSQb), extends traditional LSB steganography by directly embedding the secret speech into the least significant qubit. Quantum circuits are constructed for both methods to demonstrate their feasibility. Theoretical analysis and simulation experiments show that these methods exhibit good imperceptibility (({\text{PSNR}}>50)) and embedding efficiency. Particularly, EP-LSQb method enhances the theoretical limit of embedding efficiency when compared to its corresponding classical counterparts. Additionally, due to the inclusion of entangled qubit particles, our methods offer competitive content security and noise robustness, distinguishing them from classical LSB or general LSQb methods and highlighting the unique advantages of quantum approaches.
Currently, quantum steganography schemes utilizing the least significant bit (LSB) approach are primarily optimized for fixed-point data processing, yet they encounter precision limitations when handling extended floating-point data structures owing to quantization error accumulation. To overcome precision constraints in quantum data hiding, the EPlsb-MFQS and MVlsb-MFQS quantum steganography algorithms are constructed based on the LSB approach in this study. The multichannel floating-point quantum representation of digital signals (MFQS) model enhances information hiding by augmenting the number of available channels, thereby increasing the embedding capacity of the LSB approach. Firstly, we analyze the limitations of fixed-point signals steganography schemes and propose the conventional quantum steganography scheme based on the LSB approach for the MFQS model, achieving enhanced embedding capacity. Moreover, the enhanced embedding efficiency of the EPlsb-MFQS algorithm primarily stems from the superposition probability adjustment of the LSB approach. Then, to prevent an unauthorized person easily extracting secret messages, we utilize channel qubits and position qubits as novel carriers during quantum message encoding. The secret message is encoded into the signal’s qubits of the transmission using a particular modulo value rather than through sequential embedding, thereby enhancing the security and reducing the time complexity in the MVlsb-MFQS algorithm. However, this algorithm in the spatial domain has low robustness and security. Therefore, an improved method of transferring the steganographic process to the quantum Fourier transformed domain to further enhance security is also proposed. This scheme establishes the essential building blocks for quantum signal processing, paving the way for advanced quantum algorithms. Compared with available quantum steganography schemes, the proposed steganography schemes achieve significant improvements in embedding efficiency and security. Finally, we theoretically delineate, in detail, the quantum circuit design and operation process.
With the rise of quantum computing and the limitations of traditional encryption methods, ensuring secure data transmission in IoT frameworks has become increasingly critical. This work presents a quantum-enhanced hybrid communication system that integrates adaptive audio techniques with quantum image processing. The proposed system operates in three main stages: first, text data is converted into binary format and encoded into quantum circuits using Qiskit; second, the quantum-encoded data is embedded into audio signals using an adaptive Least Significant Bit (LSB) technique; finally, the stego-audio’s robustness is evaluated under simulated IoT network conditions. Unlike conventional approaches, this method offers dual-layer security by combining dynamic audio embedding with quantum-based image representation, making it resistant to both quantum attacks and signal degradation. Experimental results demonstrate strong performance, with a Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) ranging from 45 to 50 dB, a Bit Error Rate (BER) below 2%, and entropy values exceeding 7.5. These outcomes indicate the system’s effectiveness for secure, quantum-resilient communication in IoT environments with bandwidth and security constraints.
In the realm of cybersecurity, the demand for robust encryption and secure data hiding techniques has intensified with the proliferation of digital communication and sensitive information exchange. This paper explores integration of QC advancements for enhancing the security of two critical cryptographic applications: Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption and Least Significant Bit (LSB) image steganography. Quantum computing introduces the concept of qubits, which harness quantum mechanical phenomena to perform computations that classical computers struggle to achieve efficiently. By leveraging qubits, AES encryption can potentially benefit from enhanced key generation and encryption processes, thereby strengthening data confidentiality against conventional and future quantum attacks. Additionally, this paper investigates the application of quantum-inspired techniques to optimize the LSB method in image steganography. LSB embedding involves hiding data within LSB of image pixels, technique vulnerable to statistical attacks. Quantum-inspired approaches aim to mitigate these vulnerabilities by improving embedding efficiency and robustness without compromising image quality. Through theoretical analysis and simulation studies, this research evaluates the feasibility and potential benefits of integrating quantum computing into AES encryption and LSB steganography. The findings underscore the promise of quantum-enhanced methods in fortifying data security across digital platforms, laying the groundwork for future advancements in quantum cryptography and information hiding techniques.
As one of essential multimedia in quantum networks, the copyright protection of quantum audio has gradually become an important issue in the domain of quantum information hiding in the decades. In this paper, an improved quantum watermarking algorithm based on quantum audio by using least significant qubit (LSQb) modification is proposed. Compared with the previous achievements, it can effectively improve the robustness and security of watermark for copyright protection of quantum audio. In the new algorithm, the least significant bites and the peripheral least significant bits of the amplitudes are modified in terms of their logical consistency and correlation to enhance watermark robustness of resisting various illegal attacks. Furthermore, the new algorithm can avoid the weak robustness defect of many previous algorithms that directly embedded the watermark into the least significant bits. In order to implement the new algorithm, some specific quantum circuits are designed to obtain better applicability and scalability for embedding and extracting watermark. Finally, the simulation results including the values of audio waveforms and signal to noise ratios (SNR) prove that the new algorithm has good transparency, robustness, and security.
As one of important research branches of quantum information hiding, quantum steganography embeds secret information into quantum images for covert communication by integrating quantum secure communication technology and classical steganography. In this paper, based on the novel enhanced quantum representation (NEQR), a novel quantum steganography algorithm is proposed to transfer secret information by virtue of quantum watermarked image. In order to achieve this goal, the least significant qubit (LSQb) of quantum carrier image is replaced with the secret information by implementing quantum circuit. Compared with the previous quantum steganography algorithms, the communicating parties can recover the secret information tampered, meanwhile the tampers can be located effectively. In the experiment result, the peak signal-to-noise ratios (PSNRs) are calculated for different quantum watermarked images and quantum watermarks, which demonstrate the imperceptibility of the algorithm is good and the secret information embedded can be recovered by virtue of its self-adaptive mechanism.
Abstract Quantum steganography is an advanced method of hiding information within quantum systems, leveraging the unique properties of quantum mechanics-such as superposition, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem-to achieve unbreakable secrecy. Quantum steganography provides perfect secrecy against both classical and quantum hacking, making it a cutting-edge technology in cybersecurity. This paper introduces a quantum steganography technique that builds on the advantages of of Novel Enhanced Quantum Representation (NEQR) of digital imaging and integrates quantum-resistant solutions for secure (biometric) transmission, anti-spoofing, and privacy-preserving authentication. Our analysis and experiments have shown that our approach is robust against several types of attacks, and offers protection against both current and future threats while maintaining the steganographic property of imperceptibility and capacity, making it one of the best options for secret information transmission.