A new digital watermarking model using honey encryption and reversible cellular automata

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Information Security
• Digital Image Processing

Background:

• Digital image watermarking is crucial for copyright protection and authenticity verification.
• Existing methods face challenges in balancing imperceptibility, security, and robustness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel image watermarking method using honey encryption and reversible cellular automata.
• To enhance the security and robustness of digital watermarking while maintaining imperceptibility.

Main Methods:

• The proposed method involves two phases: image vectorization, diffusion with XOR, honey encryption, and reversible cellular automata transformation.
• Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is employed for embedding the watermark into the cover image, preserving visual quality.

Main Results:

• The method achieved a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 13.55 and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 3.05, indicating high imperceptibility.
• A Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 36.89 was recorded, signifying excellent image quality preservation.
• Normalized correlation analysis demonstrated superior robustness against noise and JPEG compression compared to existing methods.

Conclusions:

• The proposed watermarking technique effectively secures image authenticity with minimal visual distortion.
• The combination of honey encryption and reversible cellular automata offers a robust and imperceptible solution for digital image protection.