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A novel quantum LSB-based steganography method using the Gray code for colored quantum images

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Abstract

As one of the prevalent data-hiding techniques, steganography is defined as the act of concealing secret information in a cover multimedia encompassing text, image, video and audio, imperceptibly, in order to perform interaction between the sender and the receiver in which nobody except the receiver can figure out the secret data. In this approach a quantum LSB-based steganography method utilizing the Gray code for quantum RGB images is investigated. This method uses the Gray code to accommodate two secret qubits in 3 LSBs of each pixel simultaneously according to reference tables. Experimental consequences which are analyzed in MATLAB environment, exhibit that the present schema shows good performance and also it is more secure and applicable than the previous one currently found in the literature.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by Kermanshah Branch, Young Researchers, and Elite Club, Iran. S. Heidari would like to thank Besharat Rabiei, Dr. Ramin Mehdi-abadi and Dr. Mostafa Mahmoodian for their interests in this work. Also E. Farzadnia deeply thanks Dr. Mohamad Fakherdanesh, Lecturer, at Malek Ashtar University of Technology for his helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran

    Shahrokh Heidari

  2. Department of Information and Communication Security, Malek Ashtar University of Technology (MUT), Tehran, Iran

    Ehsan Farzadnia

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  1. Shahrokh Heidari
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  2. Ehsan Farzadnia
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Correspondence to Shahrokh Heidari.

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Heidari, S., Farzadnia, E. A novel quantum LSB-based steganography method using the Gray code for colored quantum images. Quantum Inf Process 16, 242 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11128-017-1694-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11128-017-1694-8

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