Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

LSB Based Quantum Image Steganography Algorithm

  • Published:
International Journal of Theoretical Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Quantum steganography is the technique which hides a secret message into quantum covers such as quantum images. In this paper, two blind LSB steganography algorithms in the form of quantum circuits are proposed based on the novel enhanced quantum representation (NEQR) for quantum images. One algorithm is plain LSB which uses the message bits to substitute for the pixels’ LSB directly. The other is block LSB which embeds a message bit into a number of pixels that belong to one image block. The extracting circuits can regain the secret message only according to the stego cover. Analysis and simulation-based experimental results demonstrate that the invisibility is good, and the balance between the capacity and the robustness can be adjusted according to the needs of applications.

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. Gupta, S., Goyal, A., Bhushan, B.: Information hiding using least significant bit steganography and cryptography. Int. J. Educ. Comput. Sci. 6, 27–34 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Le, P.Q., Dong, F., Hirota, K.: A flexible representation of quantum images for polynomial preparation, image compression and processing operations. Quantum Inf. Process. 10(1), 63–84 (2011)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhang, Y., Lu, K., Gao, Y.H., et al.: NEQR: a novel enhanced quantum representation of digital images. Quantum Inf. Process. 12(12), 2833–2860 (2013)

    Article  ADS  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Iliyasu, A.M., Le, P.Q., Dong, F., Hirota, K.: Watermarking and authentication of quantum images based on restricted geometric transformations. Inf. Sci. 186, 126–149 (2012)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhang, W.W., Gao, F., Liu, B., et al.: A watermark strategy for quantum images based on quantum Fourier transform. Quantum Inf. Process. 12(4), 793–803 (2013)

    ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  6. Zhang, W.W., Gao, F., Liu, B., et al.: A quantum watermark protocol. Int. J. Theor. Phys. 52, 504–513 (2013)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Song, X.H., Wang, S., Liu, S., Abd El-Latif, A.A., Niu X.M.: A dynamic watermarking scheme for quantum images using quantum wavelet transform. Quantum Inf. Process. 12(12), 3689–3706 (2013)

    Article  ADS  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  8. Song, X.H., Wang, S., Liu, S., Abd El-Latif, A.A., Niu, X.M.: Dynamic watermarking scheme for quantum images based on Hadamard transform (2014). Multimedia Systems, published online

  9. Tirkel, A.Z., Rankin, G.A., VanSchyndel, R.M., et al.: Electronic watermark Proceedings of digital image computing: techniques and applications, pp 666–672. Macquarie University (1993)

  10. Chan, C.K., Cheng, L.M.: Hiding data in image by simple LSB substitution. Pattern Recogn. 37(3), 469–474 (2004)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Dey, S., Abraham, A., Sanyal, S.: An LSB data hiding technique using prime numbers. In: Third international symposium on information assurance and security, pp 101–108 (2007)

  12. Ghazanfari, K., Ghaemmaghami, S., Khosravi, S.R.: LSB ++: an improvement to LSB + steganography. In: IEEE Region 10 Conference TENCON, pp 364–368 (2011)

  13. Akhtar, N., Johri, P., Khan, S.: Enhancing the security and quality of LSB based image steganography. In: 5th International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Communication Networks, pp 385–390 (2013)

  14. Ma, L., Lu, J.: Construction of controlled quantum counter. Chinese J. Quantum Electron. 20(1), 47–50 (2003)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  15. Wang, D., Liu, Z.H., Zhu, W.N., Li, S.Z.: Design of quantum comparator based on extended general Toffoli gates with multiple targets. Comput. Sci. 39(9), 302–306 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Jiang, N., Wang, L., Wu, W.Y.: Quantum Hilbert image scrambling. International Journal of Theoretical Physics, accepted. doi:10.1007/s10773-014-2046-4(2014)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Computer, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China

    Nan Jiang, Na Zhao & Luo Wang

Authors
  1. Nan Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Na Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Luo Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nan Jiang.

Additional information

This work is supported by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission Science and Technology Development Plan under Grants No. KM201310005021, the National Scholarship under Grants No. 201406545034, and the Graduate Technology Fund of BJUT under Grants No. YKJ-2014-10775.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jiang, N., Zhao, N. & Wang, L. LSB Based Quantum Image Steganography Algorithm. Int J Theor Phys 55, 107–123 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10773-015-2640-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10773-015-2640-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation