A DFT-Based Analysis to Discern Between Camera and Scanned Images

Digital images are generated by different sensors, understanding which kind of sensor has acquired a certain image could be crucial in many application scenarios where digital forensic techniques operate. In this article a new methodology which permits to establish if a digital photo has been taken by a photo-camera or has been scanned by a scanner is presented. The specific geometrical features of the sensor pattern noise introduced by the sensor are investigated by resorting to a DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform) analysis and consequently the origin of the digital content is assessed. Experimental results are provided to witness the reliability of the proposed technique.