Other Research Areas

Multimedia Security and Digital Rights Management

Multimedia Security

The large-scale use of digital media distribution rests on its ability to provide legitimate services to all parties. This requires allowing the convenient use of digital media while equitably compensating all members of the information distribution chain such as content creators, providers and consumers. Multimedia security is a field of research that stems from this need.

We live in a world of pervasive mobile digital media acquisition, distribution and consumption; digital distribution allows the introduction of flexible, cost-effective business models that are advantageous for multimedia commerce transactions. The digital nature of the information also more easily allows individuals to manipulate, duplicate or access media information beyond the terms and conditions agreed upon in a given transaction, which has made content protection and rights management an influential issue in content delivery networks.

Multimedia Security

Multimedia security is a form of content-based protection. In the context of information creation, processing, transmission and storage, content alludes to a higher level representation or semantics of the data. Naturally, this implies that content may be comprised of multiple forms of media such as audio, imagery, video, text and graphics in an assorted variety of digital formats. As a result, the characteristics of the information can greatly vary. For example, the required bit rate, maximum acceptable error, decompression complexity, and display requirements may deviate significantly which creates several challenges in terms of content protection.

Traditional forms of computer and network security do not sufficiently address the needs of content security because they often process information at the bit-level which does not allow appropriate consideration of the semantics of the information. This consideration is necessary if we are to design security mechanisms that can handle the processing of high bandwidth information such as video that may undergo loss or format conversion and allow the possibility of retention of some control over the intellectual property once it is transmitted. For example, encryption and authentication functions must accommodate varying data formats and lossy compression. Furthermore, computer and network security alone cannot appropriately manage the issue of piracy. Multimedia security responds to these issues through the following attributes:

  • protection is tied to a higher level of the content, opposed to the actual bits, to provide efficient and effective security that can be designed to be more robust to format conversion or recovery from communication error. For example, digital signatures can be based on high level features of information rather than the bit representations to allow authentication even in the face of lossy compression.
  • security processing, for encryption or digital watermarking, is integrated with other signal processing tasks such as compression and decompression to be able to handle fluctuations in bit rate. Combining encryption or digital watermarking with signal processing not only allows the reuse of processing blocks for greater efficiency, but can provide a structured method to attach security processing to varying content forms and bandwidth.
  • semantic information such as metadata are associated with the content security mechanisms to ensure that the content is used as negotiated in an information commerce scenario.

A significant application and motivation for the development and use of multimedia security (in addition to traditional computer and network security) is digital rights management (DRM).

Digital Rights Management

DRM is the digital management of user rights to content.  It entails linking specific user privileges to media in order to control viewing, duplication, access and distribution, among other operations.  Ideally, the goal of a DRM system is to balance information protection, usability, and cost to provide a beneficial environment for all parties in an information commerce transaction; this includes expanded functionality, cost effectiveness and new marketing opportunities.  Overall, management is achieved through the effective interaction of business models, legal policy and technology.  It is the conflicting characteristics and rapidly changing environments in each of these spaces that makes DRM a challenging and interesting problem.

Research Focus

Our research focus has spanned the fields of robust, fragile and semi-fragile digital watermarking, media encryption, digital fingerprinting, media authentication and tamper-assessment technologies for DRM applications.

Related Publications

C. Fei; R. Kwong; D. Kundur

Secure Semi-Fragile Watermarking for Image Authentication Inproceedings

Proc. First IEEE International Workshop on Information Forensics and Security (WIFS), pp. 141-145, London, UK, 2009.

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C. Fei; R. Kwong; D. Kundur

A Hypothesis Testing Approach to Semifragile Watermark-Based Authentication Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 4 (2), pp. 179-192, 2009.

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C. Fei; D. Kundur; R. Kwong

Analysis and Design of Secure Watermark-based Authentication Systems Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 1 (1), pp. 43-55, 2006.

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Chuhong Fei

Analysis and Design of Watermark-Based Multimedia Authentication Systems PhD Thesis

University of Toronto, 2006.

Abstract | BibTeX

C. Fei; D. Kundur; R. Kwong

A Hypothesis Testing Approach for Achieving Semi-fragility in Multimedia Authentication Inproceedings

E. J. Delp III; P. W. Wong (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Security and Watermarking of Multimedia Contents VIII, pp. 607220-1 - 607220-12, San Jose, California, 2006.

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W. Luh; D. Kundur

New Paradigms for Effective Broadcasting and Fingerprinting of Entertainment Media Journal Article

IEEE Communications Magazine, 43 (6), pp. 77-84, 2005.

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K. Su; D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Spatially Localized Image-dependent Watermarking for Statistical Invisibility and Collusion Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, 7 (1), pp. 52-66, 2005.

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K. Su; D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Statistical Invisibility for Collusion-resistant Digital Video Watermarking Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, 7 (1), pp. 43-51, 2005.

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C. Fei; D. Kundur; R. Kwong

Achieving Computational and Unconditional Security in Authentication Watermarking: Analysis, Insights, and Algorithms Inproceedings

E. J. Delp III; P. W. Wong (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Security and Watermarking of Multimedia Contents VII, pp. 697-708, San Jose, California, 2005.

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Nebu John Mathai

0.18 CMOS Implementation of a Video Watermarking Algorithm

2004.

Abstract | BibTeX

William Luh

Collusion-Resistant Fingerprinting for Multimedia in a Broadcast Channel Environment

2004.

Abstract | BibTeX

P. Campisi; D. Kundur; A. Neri

Robust Digital Watermarking in the Ridgelet Domain Journal Article

IEEE Signal Processing Letters, 11 (10), pp. 826-830, 2004.

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D. Kundur; C.-Y. Lin; B. Macq; H.H. Yu

Enabling Security Technologies for Digital Rights Management Journal Article

Proceedings of the IEEE, Special Issue on Enabling Security Technologies for Digital Rights Management, 92 (6), pp. 879-882, 2004.

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D. Kundur; K. Karthik

Video Fingerprinting and Encryption Principles for Digital Rights Management Journal Article

Proceedings of the IEEE Special Issue on Enabling Security Technologies for Digital Rights Management, 92 (6), pp. 918-932, 2004.

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D. Kundur; K. Su; D. Hatzinakos

“Digital Video Watermarking: Techniques, Technology and Trends,” in Intelligent Watermarking Techniques Book Chapter

P. J.-S. Pan; H.-C. Huang; L. Jain (Ed.): Chapter Digital Video Watermarking: Techniques, , pp. 265-314, World Scientific Publishing Company, 2004, ISBN: 978-981-238-757-8.

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K. Karthik; D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Joint Fingerprinting and Decryption for Multimedia Content Tracing in Wireless Networks Inproceedings

Edward M. Carapezza (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Sensors, Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Technologies for Homeland Security and Homeland Defense, pp. 360-370, Orlando, Florida, 2004.

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Y. Zhao; P. Campisi; D. Kundur

Dual Domain Watermarking for Authentication and Compression of Cultural Heritage Images Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 13 (3), pp. 430-448, 2004.

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R. Akalu; D. Kundur

Technological Protection Measures in the Courts: Law, Engineering, and DRM Lessons Learned from the Failure of the Content Scrambling System Journal Article

IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, 21 (2), pp. 109-117, 2004.

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C. Fei; D. Kundur; R. Kwong

Analysis and Design of Watermarking Algorithms for Improved Resistance to Compression Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 13 (2), pp. 126-144, 2004.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Toward Robust Logo Watermarking using Multiresolution Image Fusion Principles Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, 6 (2), pp. 185-198, 2004.

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C. Fei; D. Kundur; R. Kwong

Analysis and Design of Authentication Watermarking Inproceedings

E. J. Delp III; P. W. Wong (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Security and Watermarking of Multimedia Contents VI, pp. 760-771, San Jose, California, 2004.

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D. Kundur; Y. Zhao; P. Campisi

A Steganographic Framework for Dual Authentication and Compression of High Resolution Imagery Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), pp. 1-4, Vancouver, Canada, 2004.

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Yang Zhao

Dual Domain Semi-Fragile Watermarking for Image Authentication

2003.

Abstract | BibTeX

Adrian Squeira

Enhanced Watermark Detection

2003.

Abstract | BibTeX

N. J. Mathai; A. Sheikholeslami; D. Kundur

VLSI Implementation of a Real-Time Video Watermark Embedder and Detector Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), pp. 772-775, Bangkok, Thailand, 2003.

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N. J. Mathai; A. Sheikholeslami; D. Kundur

Hardware Implementation Perspectives of Digital Video Watermarking Algorithms Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 51 (4), pp. 925-938, 2003.

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K. Su; D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

A Novel Approach to Collusion Resistant Video Watermarking Inproceedings

E. J. Delp III; P. W. Wong (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Security and Watermarking of Multimedia Contents IV, pp. 491-502, San Jose, California, 2002.

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P. Campisi; D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos; A. Neri

Compressive Data Hiding: An Unconventional Approach for Improved Color Image Coding Journal Article

EURASIP Journal on Applied Signal Processing Special Issue on Emerging Applications of Data Hiding, 2002 (2), pp. 152-163, 2002.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Diversity and Attack Characterization for Improved Robust Watermarking Journal Article

IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 29 (10), pp. 2383-2396, 2001.

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D. Kundur

Watermarking with Diversity: Insights and Implications Journal Article

IEEE Multimedia, 8 (4), pp. 46-52, 2001.

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K. Su; D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

A Content-Dependent Spatially Localized Video Watermark for Resistance to Collusion and Interpolation Attacks Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), pp. 818-821, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2001.

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Karen Su

Digital Video Watermarking Principles for Resistance to Collusion and Interpolation Attacks

2001.

Abstract | BibTeX

A. Sequeira; D. Kundur

Communication and Information Theory in Watermarking: A Survey Inproceedings

A. G. Tescher; B. Vasudev,; V. M. Bove (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Multimedia Systems and Applications IV, pp. 216-227, Denver, Colorado, 2001.

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H.H. Yu; D. Kundur; C.-Y. Lin

Spies, Thieves, and Lies: The Battle for Multimedia in the Digital Era Journal Article

IEEE Multimedia, 8 (3), pp. 8-12, 2001.

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C. Fei; D. Kundur; R. Kwong

Transform-Based Hybrid Data Hiding for Improved Robustness in the Presence of Perceptual Coding Inproceedings

M. S. Schmalz (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Mathematics of Data/Image Coding, Compression and Encryption IV, with Applications, pp. 203-212, San Diego, California, 2001.

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Chuhong Fei

The Choice of Transform for Robust Watermarking in the Presence of Lossy Compression

2001.

Abstract | BibTeX

C. Fei; D. Kundur; R. Kwong

The Choice of Watermark Domain in the Presence of Compression Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Information Technology: Coding and Computing (ITCC), pp. 79-84, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2001.

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D. Kundur

Energy Allocation for High-Capacity Watermarking in the Presence of Compression Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), pp. 423-426, Vancouver, Canada, 2000.

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D. Kundur

Water-filling for Watermarking? Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo (ICME), pp. 1287-1290, New York City, New York, 2000.

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D. Kundur

Implications for High Capacity Data Hiding in the Presence of Lossy Compression Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Information Technology: Coding and Computing (ITCC), pp. 16-21, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2000.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Attack Characterization for Effective Watermarking Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), pp. 240-244, Kobe, Japan, 1999.

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D. Kundur

Improved Digital Watermarking through Diversity and Attack Characterization Inproceedings

Proc. Workshop on Multimedia Security at ACM Multimedia `99, pp. 53-58, Orlando, Florida, 1999.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Mismatching Perceptual Models for Effective Watermarking in the Presence of Compression Inproceedings

A. G. Tescher (Ed.): Proc. SPIE Multimedia Systems and Applications II, pp. 29-42, Boston, Massachusetts, 1999.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Digital Watermarking for Telltale Tamper-Proofing and Authentication Journal Article

Proceedings of the IEEE Special Issue on Identification and Protection of Multimedia Information, 87 (7), pp. 1167-1180, 1999.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Improved Robust Watermarking through Attack Characterization Journal Article

Optics Express Special Issue on Digital Watermarking, 3 (12), pp. 485-490, 1998.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Towards a Telltale Watermarking Technique for Tamper-Proofing Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), pp. 409-413, 1998.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

Digital Watermarking using Multiresolution Wavelet Decomposition Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), pp. 2969-2972, Seattle, Washington, 1998.

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D. Kundur; D. Hatzinakos

A Robust Digital Image Watermarking Method using Wavelet-Based Fusion Inproceedings

Proc. IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), pp. 544-547, Santa Barbara, California, 1997.

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