The common use of the Internet and cloud services in transmission of large amounts of data over open networks and insecure channels, exposes that private and secret data to serious situations. Ensuring the information transmission over the Internet is safe and secure has become crucial, consequently information security has become one of the most important issues of human communities because of increased data transmission over social networks. Digital Media Steganography: Principles, Algorithms, and Advances covers fundamental theories and algorithms for practical design, while providing a comprehensive overview of the most advanced methodologies and modern techniques in the field of steganography. The topics covered present a collection of high-quality research works written in a simple manner by world-renowned leaders in the field dealing with specific research problems. It presents the state-of-the-art as well as the most recent trends in digital media steganography.
"This unique book delves down into the capabilities of hiding and obscuring data object within the Windows Operating System. However, one of the most noticeable and credible features of this publication is, it takes the reader from the very basics and background of data hiding techniques, and run’s on the reading-road to arrive at some of the more complex methodologies employed for concealing data object from the human eye and/or the investigation. As a practitioner in the Digital Age, I can see this book siting on the shelves of Cyber Security Professionals, and those working in the world of Digital Forensics – it is a recommended read, and is in my opinion a very valuable asset to those who are interested in the landscape of unknown unknowns. This is a book which may well help to discover more about that which is not in immediate view of the onlooker, and open up the mind to expand its imagination beyond its accepted limitations of known knowns." - John Walker, CSIRT/SOC/Cyber Threat Intelligence Specialist  Featured in Digital Forensics Magazine, February 2017  In the digital world, the need to protect online communications increase as the technology behind it evolves. There are many techniques currently available to encrypt and secure our communication channels. Data hiding techniques can take data confidentiality to a new level as we can hide our secret messages in ordinary, honest-looking data files. Steganography is the science of hiding data. It has several categorizations, and each type has its own techniques in hiding. Steganography has played a vital role in secret communication during wars since the dawn of history. In recent days, few computer users successfully manage to exploit their Windows® machine to conceal their private data. Businesses also have deep concerns about misusing data hiding techniques. Many employers are amazed at how easily their valuable information can get out of their company walls. In many legal cases a disgruntled employee would successfully steal company private data despite all security measures implemented using simple digital hiding techniques. Human right activists who live in countries controlled by oppressive regimes need ways to smuggle their online communications without attracting surveillance monitoring systems, continuously scan in/out internet traffic for interesting keywords and other artifacts. The same applies to journalists and whistleblowers all over the world. Computer forensic investigators, law enforcements officers, intelligence services and IT security professionals need a guide to tell them where criminals can conceal their data in Windows® OS & multimedia files and how they can discover concealed data quickly and retrieve it in a forensic way. Data Hiding Techniques in Windows OS is a response to all these concerns. Data hiding topics are usually approached in most books using an academic method, with long math equations about how each hiding technique algorithm works behind the scene, and are usually targeted at people who work in the academic arenas. This book teaches professionals and end users alike how they can hide their data and discover the hidden ones using a variety of ways under the most commonly used operating system on earth, Windows®. This is your hands-on guide to understand, detect and use today’s most popular techniques in hiding and exploring hidden data under Windows® machines, covering all Windows® versions from XP till Windows® 10. Starting with the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, and his simple cipher method to the surveillance programs deployed by NSA, to monitor communication and online traffic, this book will teach you everything you need to know to protect your digital data using steganographic & anonymity cryptographic techniques. Written in a simple style and requiring only basic knowledge of main Windows® functions, techniques are presented in a way to easily implement them directly on your computer.
Bent Functions: Results and Applications to Cryptography offers a unique survey of the objects of discrete mathematics known as Boolean bent functions. As these maximal, nonlinear Boolean functions and their generalizations have many theoretical and practical applications in combinatorics, coding theory, and cryptography, the text provides a detailed survey of their main results, presenting a systematic overview of their generalizations and applications, and considering open problems in classification and systematization of bent functions. The text is appropriate for novices and advanced researchers, discussing proofs of several results, including the automorphism group of bent functions, the lower bound for the number of bent functions, and more.
Computers and the General Practitioner focuses on the applications of computers in various aspects of health service, including ECG analysis, primary care, and diagnosis. The selection first tackles general practice and technological promise and experience of pioneers. Topics include information systems and general practice, trends in silicon chip technology, and problems of computer usage in National Health Service practice. The publication then examines security in computer controlled information systems and national strategy for primary care computing, including security defenses, linked systems, cryptography, and basic system. The text takes a look at the computer education of the general practitioner, use of computers in the consulting room, and ECG analysis by computer in general practice. Discussions focus on the problems associated with educating doctors, features of a heuristic system, and the function of the computer as a general practitioner's diagnostic assistant. The selection is a dependable source of data for doctors and readers interested in exploring the applications of computers in health services.
This book serves as a security practitioner’s guide to today’s most crucial issues in cyber security and IT infrastructure. It offers in-depth coverage of theory, technology, and practice as they relate to established technologies as well as recent advancements. It explores practical solutions to a wide range of cyber-physical and IT infrastructure protection issues. Composed of 11 chapters contributed by leading experts in their fields, this highly useful book covers disaster recovery, biometrics, homeland security, cyber warfare, cyber security, national infrastructure security, access controls, vulnerability assessments and audits, cryptography, and operational and organizational security, as well as an extensive glossary of security terms and acronyms. Written with instructors and students in mind, this book includes methods of analysis and problem-solving techniques through hands-on exercises and worked examples as well as questions and answers and the ability to implement practical solutions through real-life case studies. For example, the new format includes the following pedagogical elements:• Checklists throughout each chapter to gauge understanding• Chapter Review Questions/Exercises and Case Studies• Ancillaries: Solutions Manual; slide package; figure files This format will be attractive to universities and career schools as well as federal and state agencies, corporate security training programs, ASIS certification, etc.
Everyone wants privacy and security online, something that most computer users have more or less given up on as far as their personal data is concerned. There is no shortage of good encryption software, and no shortage of books, articles and essays that purport to be about how to use it. Yet there is precious little for ordinary users who want just enough information about encryption to use it safely and securely and appropriately--WITHOUT having to become experts in cryptography. Data encryption is a powerful tool, if used properly. Encryption turns ordinary, readable data into what looks like gibberish, but gibberish that only the end user can turn back into readable data again. The difficulty of encryption has much to do with deciding what kinds of threats one needs to protect against and then using the proper tool in the correct way. It's kind of like a manual transmission in a car: learning to drive with one is easy; learning to build one is hard. The goal of this title is to present just enough for an average reader to begin protecting his or her data, immediately. Books and articles currently available about encryption start out with statistics and reports on the costs of data loss, and quickly get bogged down in cryptographic theory and jargon followed by attempts to comprehensively list all the latest and greatest tools and techniques. After step-by-step walkthroughs of the download and install process, there's precious little room left for what most readers really want: how to encrypt a thumb drive or email message, or digitally sign a data file. There are terabytes of content that explain how cryptography works, why it's important, and all the different pieces of software that can be used to do it; there is precious little content available that couples concrete threats to data with explicit responses to those threats. This title fills that niche. By reading this title readers will be provided with a step by step hands-on guide that includes: Simple descriptions of actual threat scenarios Simple, step-by-step instructions for securing data How to use open source, time-proven and peer-reviewed cryptographic software Easy to follow tips for safer computing Unbiased and platform-independent coverage of encryption tools and techniques
Digital Forensics for Legal Professionals is a complete non-technical guide for legal professionals and students to understand digital forensics. In the authors’ years of experience in working with attorneys as digital forensics experts, common questions arise again and again: "What do I ask for?" "Is the evidence relevant?" "What does this item in the forensic report mean?" "What should I ask the other expert?" "What should I ask you?" "Can you explain that to a jury?" This book answers many of those questions in clear language that is understandable by non-technical people. With many illustrations and diagrams that will be usable in court, it explains technical concepts such as unallocated space, forensic copies, timeline artifacts and metadata in simple terms that make these concepts accessible to both attorneys and juries. The book also explains how to determine what evidence to ask for, evidence that might be discoverable, and furthermore, it provides an overview of the current state of digital forensics, the right way to select a qualified expert, what to expect from that expert, and how to properly use experts before and during trial. With this book, readers will clearly understand different types of digital evidence and examples of direct and cross examination questions. It includes a reference of definitions of digital forensic terms, relevant case law, and resources. This book will be a valuable resource for attorneys, judges, paralegals, and digital forensic professionals.
Windows Registry Forensics provides the background of the Windows Registry to help develop an understanding of the binary structure of Registry hive files. Approaches to live response and analysis are included, and tools and techniques for postmortem analysis are discussed at length. Tools and techniques are presented that take the student and analyst beyond the current use of viewers and into real analysis of data contained in the Registry, demonstrating the forensic value of the Registry. Named a 2011 Best Digital Forensics Book by InfoSec Reviews, this book is packed with real-world examples using freely available open source tools. It also includes case studies and a CD containing code and author-created tools discussed in the book. This book will appeal to computer forensic and incident response professionals, including federal government and commercial/private sector contractors, consultants, etc.
Multimedia technologies are becoming more sophisticated, enabling the Internet to accommodate a rapidly growing audience with a full range of services and efficient delivery methods. Although the Internet now puts communication, education, commerce and socialization at our finger tips, its rapid growth has raised some weighty security concerns with respect to multimedia content. The owners of this content face enormous challenges in safeguarding their intellectual property, while still exploiting the Internet as an important resource for commerce. Data Hiding Fundamentals and Applications focuses on the theory and state-of-the-art applications of content security and data hiding in digital multimedia. One of the pillars of content security solutions is the imperceptible insertion of information into multimedia data for security purposes; the idea is that this inserted information will allow detection of unauthorized usage.
Advances in Computers covers new developments in computer technology. Most chapters present an overview of a current subfield within computers, with many citations, and often include new developments in the field by the authors of the individual chapters. Topics include hardware, software, theoretical underpinnings of computing, and novel applications of computers. This current volume emphasizes information security issues and includes topics like certifying computer professionals, non-invasive attacks ("cognitive hacking"), computer files as legal evidence ("computer forensics") and the use of processors on plastic ("smartcards"). The book series is a valuable addition to university courses that emphasize the topics under discussion in that particular volume as well as belonging on the bookshelf of industrial practitioners who need to implement many of the technologies that are described.