DIGITAL WATERMARKING SO AS TO FIGHT AGAINST SENSITIVE INFORMATION LEAKS AND FORGERIES
Watermarking lies on the imperceptible insertion of a message or a watermark into a host document (e.g., an image, a database, a document). The aim of this message may vary depending on the applicative context and it depends on the relation between the protected content and the message. This message may serve the protection of the owner rights, data integrity, data traceability (e.g., concealing of client or user identifiers into the host document), etc. By definition, the host content can be accessed while still being protected by the embedded message. Protection is independent from the storage format and it does not hinge the usage of the content. This versatility makes of watermarking a really attractive solution in the sensitive information protection framework.
Next figure presents an example of the use of watermarking in the protection of the digital rights of an image.