Robust and Secure Zero-Watermark Architecture With Arnold and Phase Transformation

Abstract

This paper propose a secure watermarking method based on the zero-watermarking framework, combining Arnold transformation, phase transformation, and advanced encryption techniques. The proposed method aims to enhance the concealment and security of the watermark. By applying Arnold scrambling to the images, the hiding capability of the watermark is improved, preventing unauthorized extraction. The image data is decomposed into overlapping blocks in the vertical and horizontal directions, and these blocks are extracted as the image features and transformed into the phase domain to ensure robustness against various image operations. To enhance security, the watermark embedding is encrypted using the Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) asymmetric encryption algorithm with a Golden Key. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method maintains excellent watermark quality and visibility under different noise attacks, while providing a high level of tamper resistance. The effectiveness of the method is evaluated using metrics such as Bit Error Rate (BER) and Normalized Correlation (NC). Overall, the proposed secure watermarking method exhibits strong performance in terms of robustness and security.