Image Blind Watermark Viewer

LSB Algorithm: The Least Significant Bit (LSB) is a term used in computer science and digital communications, referring to the rightmost bit in a binary number. In multi-byte data types, each byte has its own LSB. This bit has the smallest impact on the value of the number because it represents 2^0 (which equals 1). Therefore, changing this bit from 0 to 1 or vice versa results in the smallest possible change to the overall value. LSB algorithm is commonly applied in scenarios where plaintext or encrypted data is hidden within images, thereby increasing the difficulty for users to analyze or crack sensitive information.

The principle behind LSB steganography involves manipulating the LSBs of pixels that typically consist of three colors: the primary colors red, green, and blue. These three primary colors can form various other colors. In PNG images, each color occupies 8 bits, providing 256 color variations per channel, resulting in 256^3 or 16,777,216 different colors in total. Human eyes can distinguish approximately 10 million distinct colors, leaving about 6,777,216 colors indistinguishable. LSB steganography exploits this by modifying the least significant bits of the pixel values to embed hidden information. Since PNG images are stored using lossless compression, LSB steganography can only be effectively implemented on losslessly compressed or uncompressed images, such as BMP files. Conversely, JPEG images, which use lossy compression, are not suitable for LSB steganography.

Watermarks come in two forms: visible watermarks and blind watermarks. Visible watermarks are those that can be seen directly by the human eye, while blind watermarks cannot be perceived visually. Instead, blind watermarks employ techniques like LSB steganography to embed identifying data into protected images. Such data might include information about the image's author, the website (or platform) it's hosted on, or details about the party who published the image. Blind watermarks offer greater concealment compared to visible ones and are less likely to be detected. Moreover, while visible watermarks can be easily removed through methods like mosaicking or photo editing tools, removing blind watermarks requires more sophisticated techniques and poses a higher technical barrier.