Video Steganography in HEVC Using Intra-Prediction Modes

Steganography is a security method that has been used since ancient times and has evolved as a prominent research area in electronic media with the advancement of technology and the transformation of information into digital data. Hidden data carriers can take various forms, such as text, audio, images, or videos. With the expansion of video media and advancements in areas such as increased memory capacity, processor power, and data exchange speed, video-based steganography has gained more attention. The presence of consecutive video frames and suitable space for data steganography are among the reasons for the popularity of this method. Currently, the most effective video steganography methods are based on the HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding) standard, which is widely used in hardware and software applications. In this paper, a method for hiding data in videos based on the HEVC standard is proposed, utilizing its features for data concealment. The proposed technique in video steganography relies on intra-prediction modes and hides the data during the encoding process using HEVC angle modes. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method introduces minimal visual changes compared to other methods and possesses a suitable hiding rate. Moreover, it yields acceptable results regarding the security of hidden data.