Enhancing Steganography Detection with AI: Fine-Tuning a Deep Residual Network for Spread Spectrum Image Steganography

Abstract

This paper presents an extensive investigation into the application of artificial intelligence, specifically Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), in image steganography detection. We initially evaluated the state-of-the-art steganalysis model, SRNet, on various image steganography techniques, including WOW, HILL, S-UNIWARD, and the innovative Spread Spectrum Image Steganography (SSIS). We found SRNet’s performance on SSIS detection to be lower compared to other methods, prompting us to fine-tune the model using SSIS datasets. Subsequent experiments showed significant improvement in SSIS detection, albeit at the cost of minor performance degradation as to other techniques. Our findings underscore the potential and adaptability of AI-based steganalysis models. However, they also highlight the need for a delicate balance in model adaptation to maintain effectiveness across various steganography techniques. We suggest future research directions, including multi-task learning strategies and other machine learning techniques, to further improve the robustness and versatility of steganalysis models.