Fractal-Based Secured Multiple-Image Compression and Distribution

This chapter introduces a pioneer concept in which multiple images are simultaneously considered in the compression and secured distribution frameworks. We have proposed the so-called fractal mating coding scheme to successfully implement the joint image compression and encryption concept through a novel design in the domain pool construction. With the exploration of the intra- and inter-image similarity among multiple images, not only the coding performance can be improved, but also the secured image distribution purpose can be achieved. The authors hope that the revealed fractal-based ideas in this chapter will provide a different perspective for the image compression and distribution framework.

Trust in the Value-Creation Chain of Multimedia Goods

Security in the value creation chain hinges on many single components and their interrelations. Trusted Platforms open ways to fulfil the pertinent requirements. This chapter gives a systematic approach to the utilisation of trusted computing platforms over the whole lifecycle of multimedia products. This spans production, aggregation, (re)distribution, consumption, and charging. Trusted Computing technology as specified by the Trusted Computing Group provides modular building blocks which can be utilized at many points in the multimedia lifecycle. We propose an according research roadmap beyond the conventional Digital Rights Management use case. Selected technical concepts illustrate the principles of Trusted Computing applications in the multimedia context.

Rethinking DRM Using Exception Management

This chapter introduces and discusses much needed alternatives to the traditional either/or debate on total security of secure multimedia distribution. Most DRM-based approaches rely on considering the user as untrustworthy and consequently a weak link. We argue there may be alternative ways, providing increased flexibility to users in terms of fair use and copyright balance while still maintaining a much needed level of governed usage of content. While introducing exception management in DRM environments might seam counterintuitive at first sight, we provide elements supporting the idea in the form of a model which is discussed. In doing so, we argue for the need to rethink DRM in ways that will enable both a seamless compelling user experience and the rights holder to address the issue of managed copying of content.

Rights Expression Languages

Rights expression languages (RELs) form a central component of digital rights management (DRM) systems. The process of development of RELs transforms the rights requirements to a formal language ready to be used in DRM systems. Decisions regarding the design of the conceptual model, syntax, semantics, and other such properties of the language, affect not only each other, but also the integration of the language in DRM systems, and the design of DRM system as a whole. This chapter provides a detailed analysis of each step of this process and the tradeoffs involved that not only affect the properties of the REL, but also the DRM system using that REL.

Digital Video Authentication

Digital video authentication has been a topic of immense interest to researchers in the past few years. Authentication of a digital video refers to the process of determining that the video taken is original and has not been tampered with. This chapter aims to provide an overview of digital video authentication systems and a universal review of the associated methods. The chapter not only establishes the importance of authenticating a video in various application scenarios; it also identifies key properties and design issues that should be considered while designing a video authentication system. The benign and tampering operations that characterize the security and robustness aspects of a typical video authentication system are described. The past works related to video authentication, based on digital signature and digital watermarking, have been described; and the emerging trends in this area of research have also been identified.

P2PTunes

Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology is used to control access to copyrighted digital content. Apple employs a DRM system known as Fairplay in its iTunes online music store. Users communicate with the centralized iTunes server to download, purchase, play, and preview digital content. The iTunes music store has the potential disadvantage of a bandwidth bottleneck at the centralized server. Furthermore, this bandwidth bottleneck problem will escalate with increasing popularity of online music and other digital media, such as video. In this chapter, we analyze the Fairplay DRM system. We then consider a modified architecture that can be employed over existing peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Our new system, P2PTunes, is designed to provide the benefits of a decentralized P2P network while providing DRM content protection that is at least as strong as that found in Fairplay.

Discovering the Core Security Requirements of DRM Systems by Means of Objective Trees

The use of Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems involves several stakeholders, such as the content provider, the license provider, and the user, each having their own incentives to use the system. Proper use of the system implies that these incentives can only be met if certain security requirements are fulfilled. Much attention in literature has been devoted to specific security aspects of DRM systems. The contributions of this chapter consist of deriving a systematic overview of core security requirements for DRM systems. This chapter conducts a stakeholder analysis, gives an objective tree for each relevant stakeholder, and develops a simple, generic conceptual model to arrive at the set of core security requirements.

Critical Analysis of Digital Steganography

This chapter provides critical analysis of current state-of-the-art in steganography. First part of the this chapter provides the classification of steganography based on the underlying information hiding methodology used and covert-channel type, and desired features of the information hiding used for covert communication. This chapter also discusses various known steganalysis techniques developed to counteract the covert-communication and highlights limitations of existing steganographic techniques. Performance analysis of commonly used shareware/freeware steganographic tools and steganalysis tools is also provided in this chapter. Some open problems in covert-communication are also discussed.

Digital Rights Management for Streaming Media

This chapter presents a digital rights management (DRM) system designed for streaming media. A brief, general introduction to DRM is also provided, along with a discussion of the some specific issues that arise in the context of streaming media. The DRM system proposed here has been implemented and some details related to the implementation are discussed.

Digital Steganography Based on Genetic Algorithm

Steganography is the art of hiding secret data inside other innocent media file. Steganalysis is the process of detecting hidden data which are crested using steganography. Steganalysis detects stego-images by analyzing various image features between stego-images and cover-images. Therefore, we need to have a system that develops more critical stego-images from which steganalysis cannot detect them. In this chapter, we present a Genetic algorithm-(GA) based method for breaking steganalytic systems. The emphasis is shifted from traditionally avoiding the change of statistic features to artificially counterfeiting the statistic features. Our idea is based on the following: in order to manipulate the statistic features for breaking the inspection of steganalytic systems, the GA-based approach is adopted to counterfeit several stego-images (candidates) until one of them can break the inspection of steganalytic systems.