Efficient Hybrid Blind Watermarking in DWT-DCT-SVD with Dual Biometric Features for Images

Abstract

In the modern era of virtual computers over the notional environment of computer networks, the protection of influential documents is a major concern. To bring out this motto, digital watermarking with biometric features plays a crucial part. It utilizes advanced technology of cuffing data into digital media, i.e., text, image, video, or audio files. The strategy of cuffing an image inside another image by applying biometric features namely signature and fingerprint using watermarking techniques is the key purpose of this study. To accomplish this, a combined watermarking strategy consisting of Discrete Wavelet Transform, Discrete Cosine Transform, and Singular Value Decomposition (DWT-DCT-SVD) is projected for authentication of image that is foolproof against attacks. Here, singular values of watermark1 (fingerprint) and watermark2 (signature) are obtained by applying DWT-DCT-SVD. Affixing both the singular values of watermarks, we acquire the transformed watermark. Later, the same is applied to cover image to extract the singular values. Then we add these values to the cover image and transformed watermark to obtain a final watermarked image containing both signature and fingerprint. To upgrade the reliability, sturdiness, and originality of the image, a fusion of watermarking techniques along with dual biometric features is exhibited. The experimental results conveyed that the proposed scheme achieved an average PSNR value of about 40 dB, an average SSIM value of 0.99, and an embedded watermark resilient to various attacks in the watermarked image.