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Crypto-Watermarking of Transmitted Medical Images

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Abstract

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Engineering, King Abdullah II Faculty of Engineering, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Al-Jubeiha, P.O. BOX 1438, Amman, 11941, Jordan

    Ali Al-Haj

  2. Department of Electrical Engineering, King Abdullah II Faculty of Engineering, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Al-Jubeiha, P.O. BOX 1438, Amman, 11941, Jordan

    Ahmad Mohammad

  3. Ideal Solutions, Ahmad Bin Ali Street, Doha, 20851, Qatar

    Alaa’ Amer

Authors
  1. Ali Al-Haj
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  2. Ahmad Mohammad
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  3. Alaa’ Amer
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Correspondence to Ali Al-Haj.

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Al-Haj, A., Mohammad, A. & Amer, A. Crypto-Watermarking of Transmitted Medical Images. J Digit Imaging 30, 26–38 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-016-9901-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-016-9901-1

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