Abstract In recent years, quantum image steganography has attracted considerable attention; however, achieving high embedding capacity while preserving imperceptibility and security remains challenging. To address this issue, a quantum color image steganography scheme based on a double-layer turtle shell matrix is proposed.The scheme transforms RGB into the YCbCr color space to separate luminance and chrominance components according to the human visual system (HVS), and embeds secret information mainly into chrominance channels in combination with a check-digit mechanism to reduce visual distortion and enhance security. Meanwhile, the double-layer turtle shell matrix allows each coordinate to store more secret information. By jointly combining the YCbCr-based perceptual embedding strategy with the double-layer turtle shell matrix, the proposed scheme achieves 5 bpp embedding capacity while maintaining a PSNR above 50 dB.Moreover, the Grover search algorithm is incorporated to exploit quantum parallelism, significantly reducing the time complexity of searching embedding coordinates. A corresponding quantum circuit diagram is provided as a fundamental component for realizing the embedding and extraction processes. Experimental comparisons demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms existing methods in imperceptibility and embedding capacity, with a particularly notable improvement in payload.
Abstract In recent years, quantum image steganography has attracted considerable attention; however, achieving high embedding capacity while preserving imperceptibility and security remains challenging. To address this issue, a quantum color image steganography scheme based on a double-layer turtle shell matrix is proposed.The scheme transforms RGB into the YCbCr color space to separate luminance and chrominance components according to the human visual system (HVS), and embeds secret information mainly into chrominance channels in combination with a check-digit mechanism to reduce visual distortion and enhance security. Meanwhile, the double-layer turtle shell matrix allows each coordinate to store more secret information. By jointly combining the YCbCr-based perceptual embedding strategy with the double-layer turtle shell matrix, the proposed scheme achieves 5 bpp embedding capacity while maintaining a PSNR above 50 dB.Moreover, the Grover search algorithm is incorporated to exploit quantum parallelism, significantly reducing the time complexity of searching embedding coordinates. A corresponding quantum circuit diagram is provided as a fundamental component for realizing the embedding and extraction processes. Experimental comparisons demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms existing methods in imperceptibility and embedding capacity, with a particularly notable improvement in payload.
In quantum image steganography, embedding capacity and security are two important issues. This paper presents a novel quantum steganography scheme using color images as cover images. First, the secret information is divided into 3-bit segments, and then each 3-bit segment is embedded into the LSB of one color pixel in the cover image according to its own value and using Gray code mapping rules. Extraction is the inverse of embedding. We designed the quantum circuits that implement the embedding and extracting process. The simulation results on a classical computer show that the proposed scheme outperforms several other existing schemes in terms of embedding capacity and security.
Digital steganography is the art and science of hiding information in covert channels, so as to conceal the information and prevent the detection of hidden messages. On the classic computer, the principle and method of digital steganography has been widely and deeply studied, and has been initially extended to the field of quantum computing. Quantum image steganography is a relatively active branch of quantum image processing, and the main strategy currently used is to modify the LSB of the cover image pixels. For the existing LSB-based quantum image steganography schemes, the embedding capacity is no more than 3 bits per pixel. Therefore, it is meaningful to study how to improve the embedding capacity of quantum image steganography. This work presents a novel steganography using reflected Gray code for color quantum images, and the embedding capacity of this scheme is up to 6 bits per pixel. In proposed scheme, the secret qubit sequence is considered as a sequence of 6-bit segments. For 6 bits in each segment, the first 3 bits are embedded into the second LSB of RGB channels of the cover image, and the remaining 3 bits are embedded into the LSB of RGB channels of the cover image using reflected-Gray code to determine the embedded bit from secret information. Following the transforming rule, the LSBs of stego-image are not always same as the secret bits and the differences are up to almost 50%. Experimental results confirm that the proposed scheme shows good performance and outperforms the previous ones currently found in the literature in terms of embedding capacity.
Steganography of quantum images is restricted by high fidelity and robustness, which limit hiding capacity and decrease visual quality.To improve the concealment of steganographic embedding of secret messages and enhance embedding capacity, the present study proposed a quantum red-green-blue (RGB) image steganography based on image block and gray level difference.First, digital color images were represented by quantum models and divided into non-overlapping blocks.Second, reference pixels in the blocks were selected, and gray level difference between the reference pixels and the G channel of other pixels was calculated.Third, according to the location of the difference, different bit planes where secret messages were embedded into the R and the B channels of the carrier image were determined.Finally, steganographic image was divided into blocks.The G channel gray difference was calculated, and the original secret message was extracted.Results demonstrate that quantum RGB image steganography has a steganographic capacity of four bits per pixel, and its quantum circuit is less complex.In comparison with other quantum image steganographic methods, the proposed method ensures a large steganographic capacity while realizing satisfactory visual quality and steganographic concealment.The study provides reference significance for exploring data hiding and quantum image security based on quantum RGB image block.
Embedding secret information into quantum carrier image for covert communication is one of significant research fields of quantum secure communication. Using good imperceptibility and high embedding efficiency of matrix coding, this paper proposes a novel matrix coding-based quantum steganography algorithm for quantum color images. In order to better apply matrix coding in actual demand, two different embedding methods are proposed. One embedding method is single pixel-embedded (1, 3, 2) coding, called SPE (1, 3, 2) coding for short. This method embeds two qubits of secret information into three least significant qubits (LSQbs) of a single pixel of quantum carrier image, and at most only one LSQb would be changed. The other embedding method is the multiple pixels-embedded (1, 3, 2) coding, called MPsE (1, 3, 2) coding, in which three LSQbs of multiple carrier pixels are utilized to embed two secret qubits. On account of experimental simulation obtained in the MATLAB environment, it shows that the new algorithm has good performance in the imperceptibility, the security, the embedding efficiency, and the embedding capacity.
Quantum steganography plays a critical role in embedding confidential data into carrier messages using quantum computing schemes. The quantum variant of steganography outperforms its classical counterpart from security, embedding efficiency and capacity, imperceptibility, and time-complexity perspectives. Considerable work has been carried out in the literature focusing on quantum steganography. However, a holistic view of available schemes is missing. This paper provides an overview of latest advances in the field of quantum-steganography and image-steganography schemes. Moreover, the paper includes discussion of improvements made in the aforementioned fields, a brief explanation of the methodologies used for each presented algorithm, and a comparative study of existing schemes.
Abstract Quantum image processing, which merges classical image processing techniques with quantum computing, provides exceptional storage capacity and unparalleled parallel computing power. In this study, we present a quantum color image watermarking scheme that employs quantum error correction codes to address issues such as pixel loss and image distortion during watermark embedding and extraction. By utilizing the least significant bit method to embed the color values of the watermark image into those of the carrier image, we improve the scheme’s robustness. We also address the error correction capabilities of channel coding for phase-flip errors and follow the majority principle, resulting in more accurate extraction of the watermark image’s color and enhancing the watermarking scheme’s reliability and integrity. Our experimental simulations demonstrate that the proposed watermarking scheme boasts high security, strong robustness, and excellent concealment.