Weighted matrix based reversible watermarking scheme using color image

Abstract

High capacity, secure, reversible watermarking scheme using a color image for image authentication and tampered detection is still an important area of research. In this investigation, we have proposed a weighted matrix based reversible watermarking scheme using the color image which provides image authentication and tampered detection. Here, we decomposed the original image into R, G, B color components and partitioned into (3 × 3) pixel blocks then we performed the sum of entry-wise-multiplication operations using a modified weighted matrix to embed the watermark. The watermark embedding locations are stored within an index file to enhance security, increase data hiding capacity, gain good visual quality, achieve reversibility and confirm authenticity. The proposed watermarking scheme not only perform authentication and tampered detection but also improved both data embedding capacity up to 8.00 (bpp) as well as increase visual quality measured by PSNR, 50.03 (dB). Finally, the scheme is compared with other existing state-of-the-art methods and gives a reasonably better performance in terms of visual quality and hiding capacity. Our scheme has been evaluated through various steganographic analysis and observed that the scheme is secure and robust against various attacks.