Crypto-Watermarking of Transmitted Medical Images

Telemedicine is a booming healthcare practice that has facilitated the exchange of medical data and expertise between healthcare entities. However, the widespread use of telemedicine applications requires a secured scheme to guarantee confidentiality and verify authenticity and integrity of exchanged medical data. In this paper, we describe a region-based, crypto-watermarking algorithm capable of providing confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity for medical images of different modalities. The proposed algorithm provides authenticity by embedding robust watermarks in images’ region of non-interest using SVD in the DWT domain. Integrity is provided in two levels: strict integrity implemented by a cryptographic hash watermark, and content-based integrity implemented by a symmetric encryption-based tamper localization scheme. Confidentiality is achieved as a byproduct of hiding patient’s data in the image. Performance of the algorithm was evaluated with respect to imperceptibility, robustness, capacity, and tamper localization, using different medical images. The results showed the effectiveness of the algorithm in providing security for telemedicine applications.

[1]  H. K. Huang,et al.  Authenticity and integrity of digital mammography images , 2001, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[2]  C.-C. Jay Kuo,et al.  Digital Image Watermarking in Regions of Interest , 1999, PICS.

[3]  Osamah M. Al-Qershi,et al.  Authentication and Data Hiding Using a Hybrid ROI-Based Watermarking Scheme for DICOM Images , 2011, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[4]  Chun Kiat Tan,et al.  Security Protection of DICOM Medical Images Using Dual-Layer Reversible Watermarking with Tamper Detection Capability , 2011, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[5]  Tian-ge Zhuang,et al.  A Region-Based Lossless Watermarking Scheme for Enhancing Security of Medical Data , 2009, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[6]  Jeremy S. Craig,et al.  The human element: training, awareness, and human resources implications of health information security policy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) , 2009 .

[7]  A. Murat Tekalp,et al.  Lossless generalized-LSB data embedding , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing.

[8]  R. Collorec,et al.  Relevance of watermarking in medical imaging , 2000, Proceedings 2000 IEEE EMBS International Conference on Information Technology Applications in Biomedicine. ITAB-ITIS 2000. Joint Meeting Third IEEE EMBS International Conference on Information Technol.

[9]  Palak Patel,et al.  Secure and Authentic DCT Image Steganography through DWT - SVD Based Digital Watermarking with RSA Encryption , 2015, 2015 Fifth International Conference on Communication Systems and Network Technologies.

[10]  Colin Boyd,et al.  A Review of Medical Image Watermarking Requirements for Teleradiology , 2013, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[11]  Tian-ge Zhuang,et al.  Lossless Watermarking for Verifying the Integrity of Medical Images with Tamper Localization , 2009, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[12]  Tobey Clark.  PACS and Imaging Informatics: Basic Principles and Applications , 2006 .

[13]  R. Eswaraiah,et al.  Robust medical image watermarking technique for accurate detection of tampers inside region of interest and recovering original region of interest , 2015, IET Image Process..

[14]  Ruey-Feng Chang,et al.  Tamper Detection and Recovery for Medical Images Using Near-lossless Information Hiding Technique , 2008, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[15]  Jasni Mohamad Zain,et al.  Tamper Localization and Lossless Recovery Watermarking Scheme , 2011, ICSECS.

[16]  Ali Al-Haj,et al.  Providing Integrity, Authenticity, and Confidentiality for Header and Pixel Data of DICOM Images , 2015, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[17]  Chung-Yen Su,et al.  Reversible and embedded watermarking of medical images for telemedicine , 2015, 2015 1st International Conference on Industrial Networks and Intelligent Systems (INISCom).

[18]  Nora Cuppens-Boulahia,et al.  Medical Image Integrity Control Combining Digital Signature and Lossless Watermarking , 2009, DPM/SETOP.

[19]  Seyed Mojtaba Mousavi,et al.  Watermarking Techniques used in Medical Images: a Survey , 2014, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[20]  Ruey-Feng Chang,et al.  Tamper Detection and Restoring System for Medical Images Using Wavelet-based Reversible Data Embedding , 2008, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[21]  Ioan-Catalin Dragoi,et al.  On Local Prediction Based Reversible Watermarking , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing.

[22]  Krishna Mohan Buddhiraju,et al.  Secure Dissemination and Protection of Multispectral Images Using Crypto-Watermarking , 2015, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing.

[23]  Seyed Mojtaba Mousavi,et al.  A Heuristic Automatic and Robust ROI Detection Method for Medical Image Warermarking , 2015, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[24]  Mehmet K. Aktas,et al.  Emerging Security Mechanisms for Medical Cyber Physical Systems , 2016, IEEE/ACM Transactions on Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.

[25]  Ali Al-Haj,et al.  Secured Telemedicine Using Region-Based Watermarking with Tamper Localization , 2014, Journal of Digital Imaging.

[26]  N. Saranummi.  In the Spotlight: Health Information Systems , 2008, IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering.

[27]  Jeffrey J. Rodríguez,et al.  Expansion Embedding Techniques for Reversible Watermarking , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing.

[28]  Gheith A. Abandah,et al.  Crypto-based algorithms for secured medical image transmission , 2015, IET Inf. Secur..

[29]  Craig E. Kuziemsky,et al.  Emerging IT Trends in Healthcare and Well-Being , 2016, IT Prof..

[30]  Chien-Ding Lee,et al.  A Cryptographic Key Management Solution for HIPAA Privacy/Security Regulations , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine.

[31]  Gheith A. Abandah,et al.  Combining cryptography and digital watermarking for secured transmission of medical images , 2016, 2016 2nd International Conference on Information Management (ICIM).

[32]  Jasni Mohamad Zain,et al.  Tamper Localization and Lossless Recovery Watermarking Scheme with ROI Segmentation and Multilevel Authentication , 2012, Journal of Digital Imaging.