Key distribution for secure multimedia multicasts via data embedding

The problem of'controlling access to multimedia multicasts requires the distribution and maintenance of keying information. The conventional approach to distributing keys is to use a channel independent of the multimedia content. We propose a second approach that involves the use of an data-dependent channel, and can be achieved for multimedia by using data embedding techniques. Using data embedding to convey rekeying messages can provide an additional layer of security when compared with the traditional approach. We then introduce multicast key distribution, and employ a recent tree-based key distribution scheme to exhibit the factors involved in transmitting keys using data embedding.