Unified Description for Network Information Hiding Methods

Steffen Wendzel (Worms University of Applied Sciences, Germany)

Wojciech Mazurczyk (Warsaw University of Technology and University of Hagen, Germany, Poland)

Sebastian Zander (Murdoch University, Australia)

Abstract: Until now hiding methods in network steganography have been described in arbitrary ways, making them difficult to compare. For instance, some publications describe classical channel characteristics, such as robustness and bandwidth, while others describe the embedding of hidden information. We introduce the first unified description of hiding methods in network steganography. Our description method is based on a comprehensive analysis of the existing publications in the domain. When our description method is applied by the research community, future publications will be easier to categorize, compare and extend. Our method can also serve as a basis to evaluate the novelty of hiding methods proposed in the future.

Keywords: covert channels, design patterns, information hiding, network security, scientific methodology, scientific pratice, steganography

Categories: D.2.11, D.4.6, K.6.5, K.7.m