It encodes information by subtly varying the tempo It’s long been known that secret messages can be included in music through techniques such as backmasking, but now a Polish researcher has developed an entirely new approach. By subtly varying the tempo of a particular type of dance music, he’s managed to encode information in a way that’s completely inaudible to human listeners. StegIbiza is an algorithm for hiding information in a type of dance music known as Ibiza, which originates on the island by the same name in the western Mediterranean Sea. Ibiza music is characterized by its trance-like beat, and that’s what Krzysztof Szczypiorski, a professor at Poland’s Warsaw University of Technology, made use of. To create his approach, Szczypiorski began by developing a sort of Morse code by which the dots and dashes that would represent letters are converted instead into a faster or slower tempo for a particular beat. To prove his concept, he used Apple’s Logic X Pro music production software to create covers of five popular songs: “Lily was here” by David A. Stewart and Candy Dulfer; “Miracle” by Queen; “Rhythm is a dancer” by Snap!; “So what” by Miles Davis; and “You were the heart’s beat” by Andrzej Zaucha. The songs were arranged without vocals in techno, hip-hop, and trance styles using the instruments available in Apple’s software. From there, Szczypiorski embedded the message “steganography is a dancer!” in each song, placed randomly. Szczypiorski varied the degree to which tempos were altered as part of his encoding technique to see when those changes became discernable to human ears. He then tested his approach in both a studio setting where participants wore headphones and an open-air setting where a DJ was in control. Across both, he found that tweaks of less than 1 percent didn’t get noticed at all. That means that StegIbiza could be a viable means of encoding information in music, and Szczypiorski suggests that software could be created both to code and decode music this way, with potential applications in security. His paper is now available online. Related content analysis At RSA, Cisco unveils Splunk integrations, Hypershield upgrades At RSA Conference 2024, Cisco announced plans to integrate its XDR platform and Splunk’s SIEM, bolster its Hypershield AI-native security architecture, and add to its Duo access-protection software. By Michael Cooney May 06, 2024 5 mins Network Management Software Network Security Networking how-to Download our Zero Trust network access (ZTNA) enterprise buyer’s guide From the editors of Network World, this enterprise buyer’s guide helps network and security IT staff understand what ZTNA can do for their organizations and how to choose the right solution. By Josh Fruhlinger and Steve Zurier May 06, 2024 1 min Network Security Enterprise Buyer’s Guides news Network jobs watch: Hiring, skills and certification trends What IT leaders need to know about expanding responsibilities, new titles and hot skills for network professionals and I&O teams. By Denise Dubie May 06, 2024 6 mins Careers Data Center Networking feature IBM’s bets on AI and hybrid cloud pay off Three key differentiators of IBM’s AI and cloud offerings are cross-platform automation, integration with multiple clouds, and tie-ins to IBM professional services. By Jeff Vance May 06, 2024 9 mins Hybrid Cloud Network Management Software Cloud Computing PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES EVENTS NEWSLETTERS Newsletter Promo Module Test Description for newsletter promo module. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe