On The Limits Of Perfect Security For Steganographic System

TL;DR

This paper examines the fundamental limits of perfect security in steganography, highlighting misconceptions and vulnerabilities through practical testing of schemes using English acronyms for hiding data.

Contribution

It challenges existing notions of perfect security in steganography and demonstrates vulnerabilities via attack simulations and proposed improvements.

Findings

Identifies misconceptions about perfect security in steganography.

Shows vulnerabilities through chosen-message and chosen-cover attacks.

Proposes enhancements to improve security of steganographic schemes.

Abstract

Until now the discussion on perfect security for steganographic systems has remained confined within the realm of mathematicians and information theory experts whose concise and symbolic representation of their philosophies, postulates, and inference thereafter has made it hard for the na\"ive academics to have an insight of the concepts. This paper is an endeavor not only to appraise on the limitations of one of such pioneer comprehensions but also to illustrate a pitfall in another scheme that asserts on having perfect security without the use of public or secret key. Goals set are accomplished through contrasting test results of a steganographic scheme that exploits English words with corresponding acronyms for hiding bits of secret information in chat - a preferred way to exchange messages these days. The misapprehension about perfect security and reign in characteristic of stego key in bit embedding process are unfolded respectively by launching elementary chosen-message and chosen-cover attack, and through proposed enhancement of target scheme.