Trends toward real-time network data steganography

TL;DR

This paper reviews classical network steganography methods, highlights their limitations, and introduces a novel real-time network data steganography approach to enhance covert data embedding in networks.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of real-time network data steganography, a new methodology that advances beyond traditional static data modification techniques.

Findings

Classical network steganography techniques are limited and static.

A new framework for real-time data embedding is proposed.

This approach opens new avenues for network security research.

Abstract

Network steganography has been a well-known covert data channeling method for over three decades. The basic set of techniques and implementation tools have not changed significantly since their introduction in the early 1980's. In this paper, we review the predominant methods of classical network steganography, describing the detailed operations and resultant challenges involved in embedding data in the network transport domain. We also consider the various cyber threat vectors of network steganography and point out the major differences between classical network steganography and the widely known end-point multimedia embedding techniques, which focus exclusively on static data modification for data hiding. We then challenge the security community by introducing an entirely new network dat hiding methodology, which we refer to as real-time network data steganography. Finally we provide the groundwork for this fundamental change of covert network data embedding by forming a basic framework for real-time network data operations that will open the path for even further advances in computer network security.