A Confidential QR Code Approach with Higher Information Privacy

Abstract

In present times, barcode decoders on mobile phones can extract the data content of QR codes. However, this convenience raises concerns about security issues when using QR codes to transmit confidential information, such as e-tickets, coupons, and other private data. Moreover, current secret hiding techniques are unsuitable for QR code applications since QR codes are module-oriented, which is different from the pixel-oriented hiding manner. In this article, we propose an algorithm to conceal confidential information by changing the modules of the QR Code. This new scheme designs the triple module groups based on the concept of the error correction capability. Additionally, this manner can conceal two secret bits by changing only one module, and the amount of hidden confidential information can be twice the original amount. As a result, the ordinary data content (such as URL) can be extracted correctly from the generated QR code by any barcode decoders, which does not affect the readability of scanning. Furthermore, only authorized users with the secret key can further extract the concealed confidential information. This designed scheme can provide secure and reliable applications for the QR system.

A Multi-Modal IoT Framework for Healthy Nutritional Choices in Everyday Childhood Life

“…Nutritional information is nowadays readily available in the form of largely standardized tables on most commercially available food packages [27,28]. The amount of information contained therein falls within the range of capacities of QR codes [29,30]. The standardization of the encoding of nutritional information tables as QR codes would considerably facilitate the automation of nutritional information input towards applications and frameworks, given the QR scanning capabilities of most smart platforms and penetration of QR scanning as an action familiar to a large and growing percentage of smartphone users [31].…”

High capacity secret embedding strategy for QR codes based on EMD

“…Lin and Chen [5] employed an LSB matching revisiting [6] embedding mechanism to embed data in the data region modules. Lin et al [7] proposed a secret hiding scheme to embed two bits secret message in every module group based on the error correction capacity of QR code. Huang et al [8] focused on enhancing the amount of secret information that can be embedded within QR codes by utilizing the Exploiting Modification Direction (EMD) [9] technique.…”

Ultrafast Near‐Ideal Phase‐Change Memristive Physical Unclonable Functions Driven by Amorphous State Variations

“…[3,4] Moreover, situations are not getting better when it comes to prototypical holograms or quick response (QR) codes, where imitation is rife. [5,6] Currently, the ever increasing reliance on connected network devices to manage large amount of confidential digital data and perform sensitive security tasks in everyday life is driven by emergence of the edge computing framework within Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. [7][8][9] Edge-computing device operations, based on the easy access to secure data such as credit card information, biometrics, authentication tokens for financial transactions and email passwords, making them attractive targets/gateways to terror cyberattacks, pose a large risk to information security.…”