Dr. Jennifer Newman, CSAFE researcher and associate professor of mathematics at Iowa State University, was recently highlighted at Iowa State University for her CSAFE research on steganalysis, a form of digital forensics.
Newman and her team are investigating this growing area of forensic science that analyzes digital photos potentially containing hidden content related to criminal investigations. In the article, Newman explains that steganography differs from encryption in that it “hides the message in plain sight” so image viewers may be unable to tell that it contains hidden text.
In collaboration with colleague Yong Guan, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at ISU, Min Wu of the University of Maryland and a team of students, Newman is building a steganography database of over 50,000 original images expected to launch in late March.
From the article:
“If you don’t have the database to test images, where do you even start? We hope other researchers can look at the data we gather and develop a quantitative statistical analysis that is useful in a court of law,” Newman said.
The cross-discipline approach to steganalysis and digital forensics is allowing CSAFE researchers to explore new applications in this young field. Learn more about their unique methods in the full ISU news article. Find more information about this project in a piece by the Ames Tribune. Visit the CSAFE blog to learn more about how digital evidence changes the world of crime, and stop by our news section to learn about additional CSAFE research projects in digital evidence.
