Noiseless Steganography: The Key to Covert Communications

298 Pages·2012·7.99 MB·English

by  Abdelrahman Desoky

Information Technology / Security & Auditing D
E
Although the goal of steganography is to prevent adversaries from suspecting the S
O
existence of covert communications, most books on the subject present outdated
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steganography approaches that are detectable by human and/or machine examinations.
Y
These approaches often fail because they camouflage data as a detectable noise by
altering digital images, audio files, text, etc. However, such alteration raises suspicion
and makes the message discernible by detecting its noise.
Addressing such shortcomings, Noiseless Steganography: The Key to Covert
Communications introduces a novel Noiseless Steganography Paradigm (Nostega).
Rather than hiding data in noise or producing noise, Nostega camouflages messages
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as well as their transmission in the form of unquestionable data in the generated
steganographic cover. The book explains how to use Nostega to determine suitable
o
domains capable of generating unsuspicious steganographic cover in which messages
are embedded in the form of innocent data that is compatible with the chosen domain. i
s
It presents a number of Nostega-based methodologies, including but not limited to:
e
• A novel cover type that enables data to be hidden in plotted graphs l
e
• A novel methodology that pursues popular games such as chess, checkers,
s
crosswords, and dominoes to conceal messages s

• Comprehensive coverage of linguistic steganography
S
• Several novel linguistic steganography methodologies based on Natural
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Language Processing and Computational Linguistic techniques such as: e
Education-Centric-Based, Summarization-Based, Natural Language g
Generation Based, Random-Series-Based, Email Headers Based, Automatic
a
Joke Generation Based, List-Based, and Automatic Notes Generation Based
n
o
The first book to provide comprehensive coverage of Linguistic Steganography,
Graph Steganography, and Game Steganography, it discusses the implementation g
and steganalysis validation of ten Nostega-based methodologies. It describes how to r
establish covert channels by employing the selected domain to serve as justification a
for the interaction and delivery of the cover among the communicating parties. Instead p
of using contemporary steganography approaches to camouflage your data as noise
h
that is assumed to look innocent, the text provides you with the tools to prevent your
y
adversaries from suspecting the existence of covert communications altogether.
K12069
ISBN: 978-1-4398-4621-6
90000
www.crcpress.com
9 781439 846216
www.auerbach-publications.com
K12069 cvr mech.indd 1 1/20/12 12:30 PM
Noiseless
Steganography
The Key to Covert Communications

Noiseless
Steganography
The Key to Covert Communications
ABDELRAHMAN DESOKY
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2012 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20111215
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4398-4622-3 (eBook - PDF)
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to those who persist in dreaming
and striving for a better tomorrow for all.

Contents
Foreword xiii
Acknowledgments xvii
About the Author xix
chApter 1 IntroductIon 1
1.1 Steganography: Definition, Current State, and Concerns 1
1.2 Noiseless Steganography (Nostega) Paradigm 2
1.2.1 The Architecture of Nostega 4
1.2.2 Advantages of Nostega 6
1.3 Summary of the Contributions 7
1.4 Book Outline 10
chApter 2 relAted work 11
2.1 Textual Steganography 11
2.1.1 Textual Format Manipulation (TFM) 11
2.1.2 Series of Characters and Words 11
2.1.3 Statistical Based 12
2.1.4 Synonym Based 13
2.1.5 Noise Based 15
2.2 Non-Textual Steganography 17
chApter 3 grAphstegA: grAph stegAnogrAphy
methodology 19
3.1 Graphstega Methodology 19
3.1.1 Message Encoding 20
3.1.2 Graph Cover 22
vii
viii Contents
3.2 Other Steganographic Cover Types 24
3.2.1 Graph in Image Cover 25
3.2.2 Presenting the Graph’s Data in Text Cover 26
3.2.3 Presenting the Graph’s Data in Audio Cover 26
3.3 Communications Protocol 28
3.4 Conclusion 30
chApter 4 chestegA: chess stegAnogrAphy
methodology 31
4.1 Chestega Methodology 31
4.1.1 Chestega Overview 32
4.1.2 Determining Encoding Parameters 34
4.1.3 Defining Message Encoder 35
4.1.4 Message Camouflaging Scheme 36
4.1.5 Chestega Configuration 39
4.2 Chestega Implementation 40
4.2.1 Chessboard-based Example 40
4.2.2 Non-game Example 42
4.3 Conclusion 46
chApter 5 edustegA: educAtIon-centrIc
stegAnogrAphy methodology 49
5.1 Edustega Methodology 49
5.1.1 Edustega Overview 50
5.1.2 Establishing Covert Channel 52
5.1.3 Message Encoding 54
5.1.4 Message Camouflaging 58
5.2 Edustega Implementation 61
5.2.1 Edustega System 62
5.2.2 Edustega Examples 66
5.2.3 Bitrate 70
5.3 Conclusion 71
chApter 6 sumstegA: summArIzAtIon-bAsed
stegAnogrAphy methodology 73
6.1 Automatic Summarization Overview 73
6.2 Sumstega Carriers 74
6.2.1 Extraction 75
6.2.2 Abstraction 77
6.2.3 Multi-document 80
6.2.4 Cross-lingual 81
6.3 Sumstega Methodology 81
6.3.1 Sumstega Overview 82
6.3.2 Sumstega Architecture 83
6.3.3 Sumstega Encoder 85
6.3.4 Sumstega Camouflager 86
6.3.5 Implementation Example 89
6.3.5.1 Sample of Sumstega Cover 90
Contents ix
6.3.6 Sumstega Communications Protocol 91
6.3.7 Bitrate 92
6.4 Conclusion 93
chApter 7 mAtlIst: mAture lInguIstIc
stegAnogrAphy methodology 95
7.1 Introduction 96
7.1.1 Natural Language Generation and Template 96
7.1.2 Matlist Versus Previous Work 97
7.2 Matlist Methodology 99
7.2.1 Matlist Architecture Overview 100
7.2.2 DSS Determination 102
7.2.3 DSS Specifications 103
7.2.4 Building Matlist Encoder 106
7.2.5 Building Matlist NLG or Template System 107
7.2.6 Implementing Matlist Communications
Protocol 109
7.3 Matlist Implementation 110
7.3.1 DSS of Consumer Price Index 111
7.3.1.1 First Implementation Example of CPI 112
7.3.1.2 Second Implementation Example of
CPI 116
7.3.1.3 Text Substitution 119
7.3.1.4 Third Implementation Example of CPI 119
7.3.2 Other DSS 123
7.3.2.1 DSS of Elementary Math 123
7.3.2.2 DSS of Selling Books 124
7.3.2.3 DSS of Chemistry 126
7.3.2.4 DSS of Discrete Math 126
7.3.3 Matlist Bitrate 128
7.4 Conclusion 129
chApter 8 normAls: normAl lInguIstIc
stegAnogrAphy methodology 131
8.1 NORMALS Methodology 132
8.1.1 NORMALS Overview 132
8.1.2 NORMALS NLGS 133
8.1.3 NORMALS Encoder 135
8.1.4 NLGS Inputs 136
8.1.5 NORMALS Communications Protocol 137
8.2 NORMALS Implementation 139
8.2.1 Determining NORMALS NLGS 140
8.2.2 Determining NORMALS Encoder 142
8.2.3 NORMALS Cover 143
8.2.4 Determining NORMALS Communications
Protocol 146