Tutorial: Professor Kathy J. Liszka

Abstract

Information has been cleverly hidden from prying eyes dating back as far as the 5^th century B.C. The idea behind steganography is to hide something “in plain sight”. It is a technique that has been very effective in both ancient and modern times, used for warfare and criminal activities. The history is fascinating as well as the evolution with advancements in technology. Today steganography techniques are quite sophisticated.

This tutorial is divided into several segments. In the first, we’ll cover steganography methods from hair to Monopoly to microdots. Different techniques have been used during wartime and for other clandestine communication. It sets an interesting and entertaining backdrop for more serious and sophisticated techniques used today. In the second segment, we’ll cover a wide variety of digital methods that include multiple types of carriers. There will also be live tool demonstrations. A brief coverage of weaknesses and steganalysis is discussed to give the audience some hope that all is not lost. Finally, a series of hands-on labs that can be used as part of a computer security class will be presented and made available to participants as well as a lengthy list of resources. These labs have been used with senior level undergraduate 

Objective

Intended audience  

This tutorial is intended for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and anyone interested in learning about the history and techniques of steganography. Faculty who are currently teaching a computer security course or interested in developing one, will take away valuable lecture and lab materials to add to their curriculum. 

Biography of the presenter

Kathy J. Liszka is a Professor of Computer Science at The University of Akron, in Akron, Ohio. She received her M. S. and Ph.D. from Kent State University. Her research interests include security, spam, and social media. For more information

please see www.cs.uakron.edu/~liszka