2018 IEEE 32nd International Conference on Advanced Information Networking and Applications

Cognitive Cryptography in Advanced Data Security

Marek R. Ogiela1, Lidia Ogiela2

1
AGH University of Science and Technology
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics
Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering
30 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
e-mail: mogiela@agh.edu.pl
2
AGH University of Science and Technology
Cryptography and Cognitive Informatics Research Group
30 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
e-mail: logiela@agh.edu.pl

Abstract—In this paper will be described the new way of using
cognitive cryptography in data security applications. Cognitive
features and personal information may be used in creation of
advanced data security techniques, and communication
protocols. Such personally oriented procedures may play
important role in advanced secure management applications
and authentication tasks. Additionally some perception and
behavioral features allow to generate unique sequences, which
also may be used in modern cryptographic application. Such
possibilities will be described in this paper.
Keywords—cryptographic protocols; cognitive cryptography;
data security;
I. INTRODUCTION
Cognitive cryptography is a novel computational
paradigm proposed by authors of this paper a few years ago in
[5][11][12]. The main idea of this computational approach is
to join together classic cryptographic algorithms with
cognitive approaches or cognitive systems [4][6].
Cryptographic procedures allow to guarantee security and
integrity of encoded information, but additionally application
of cognitive systems, allow to involve in the encryption stage
or distribution protocol some personal feature, what finally
cause that security procedure is dependent on personal
characteristic. Additionally application of cognitive systems
allow to evaluate the semantic meaning of encrypted
information, which also could be applied in the whole security
procedure i.e. ciphertext may be dependent on the content of
encrypted information.
Such cognitive cryptography solutions may have different
applications. It may be used for creation of behavioral locks,
personalized keys, threshold procedures with personal
perception levels, or even advanced information management
protocols [9][10].
This paper will describe example applications of cognitive
cryptography solutions in the form of personal and perceptual
features in developing management protocols and visual
cryptography procedures [2][13].
Personal characteristics can be extracted or evaluated by
cognitive vision systems, which support extraction of personal
patterns and biometric characteristics, hand and finger
movements, body motions or very specific gestures [3][7].
It is also possible to define management procedures based on
the perception abilities, or the specific knowledge of a
particular person. Such knowledge-based approach may be
realized in visual captcha creation. Captcha codes in such
procedures may be oriented on specific group of users, which
possess specific knowledge and can properly use it during
verification processes.
Such protocols can also be connected with creation of
individual perception thresholds associated with the
recognition and interpretation of specific visual data.
Personally oriented technologies can also play an important
role in future IoT technologies.
The goal of this paper is to present selected ideas of
application of personal features and cognitive cryptography
solutions for security purposes. Such solutions seem to be very
promising for developing advanced cryptographic
technologies, especially those based on visual patterns, which
can also evaluate specific human habits, features, and
perception capabilities.
II. KNOWLEDGE-BASED HIERARCHICAL CAPTCHA IN
SECURITY APPLICATIONS
In this section will be presented hierarchical captcha
codes, which require specific or expert knowledge during
verification processes. In general captcha is a special type of
coded dedicated for user verification, which confirm that a
task was executed by a humans, not a computer systems or
Internet robot. Such verification procedures can also be
applied for information management tasks in distributed
infrastructures like Cloud or Fog computer systems.
The verification procedures performed with captcha
consist of different stages, at which different verification
techniques may be executed. Visual codes allow access to data
or computer systems to participants who answered a question
correctly or select captcha parts in proper manner. In case of
improper answer captcha techniques can prevent to access to
secret information or web services. In this solution, it is
necessary to correctly select any combination of elements

1550-445X/18/$31.00 ©2018 IEEE 740

DOI 10.1109/AINA.2018.00111
which fulfil particular conditions or have a particular
meaning. For example, we can select all or only a small
number of visual parts representing specific information.
Figure 1 presents possible solutions in which users are verified
with different combinations of correct captchas.
In verification procedures, it is also possible to specify the
more complex answers, which required expert knowledge or
combination of answers.
Figure 2 present an example with multi-level captcha
answers. Depending on the whole image division on parts it is
possible to find different proper answers. When we consider
only biggest parts of this image it is possible to find only one
answer (red part). For more detailed division it is also possible
to find other solutions based on yellow net or green one.
Different parts selection may be required for different users,
but we can also consider the verification process, which will
have several stages for the same user.

Figure 1. Examples of visual captcha for a verification procedure with the

question: where is a parrot (left), or where do you see parrots (right).

Figure 2. Examples of visual captcha with multi-level answers for the question: on which part(s) do you see fish? Depending on the image division for
particular parts it is possible to find only one answer (the red rectangle), four (yellow parts) or sixteen (green parts).

Figure 3. Examples of captcha which required expert medical knowledge.

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 Considering captcha visual codes, it is also possible to
create a verification procedure which required some expert
knowledge, connected with used images. In Figure 3 is
presented an example of such solution, based on medical
visualization. Of course the meaning of captcha can be
different when using other visual content, but for presented
example the proper answer for authenticating users can be
connected with selection of images which:
• Presents brain structures (image A)
• Abdominal organs (B)
• Chest structures (D)
• Heart (C)
It may also depend on examination modality like:
• USG examination (B)
• RTG (D)
• CT or MRI (A & C)
Similar solutions can presents selected medical structure
with different lesions or disease stages. The proper answer in
such cases can be find only by people having experiences or
expert knowledge.
Figure 4. An example of image reconstruction based on a different number of secret parts. On the right column visible images restored from different
numbers of visual parts. Top image and the middle may suggest that the object is the shark. The bottom shows details and allow to recognize submarine
(shark-shaped).
IV. FEATURES OF COGNITIVE-BASED CRYPTOGRAPHIC
SOLUTIONS
Presented in this paper security approaches which are
based on cognitive cryptography paradigm have several
important features. Application of perceptional abilities for
creation of personalized keys allow to support the
development of efficient and universal encryption procedures
dedicated specifically to trusted users. Application of
cognitive systems allow to extract personal characteristics
from traditional biometric patterns as well as other patterns
connected with morphometric parameters of human body
parts, or even behavioral features [1][12].
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III. COGNITIVE KEYS IN SECURITY PROTOCOLS
Application of cognitive cryptography for security
purposes can also be connected with creation of personal
cognitive keys.
Such keys must be dependent on visual perception abilities
of particular person or user [8][11]. In such protocols, we can
establish individual perceptual thresholds for each
participants of protocol. Protocol can operate properly
because often different details on images are noticed while we
gain enough information to recognize it or guess invisible
details. In this procedure, it is possible to define personal
perception thresholds at which particular user can properly
recognize the original pattern, but other individuals cannot do
this in the same way. Such threshold depends on the
expectations and knowledge of the content of original images.
Fig. 4 presents an example of such threshold. Users
without any knowledge or expectation about the content of
this image have to collect all secret parts to recognize it.
However those who have some additional knowledge (e.g.
individuals who knows how looks sharked-shaped submarine)
can recognize it at an early stage.
All such cognitive cryptography procedures combine the
security features with personal parameters or semantic
meaning of encrypted information.
Cognitive cryptography protocols should be secure due to
the security features of basic algorithms, which was expanded
to include of personal, or perceptual features.
Personal parameters usually can be evaluated in real time
using appropriate sensors or biometric devices, what allow to
evaluate select personal features in a short time. Also the
complexity of such protocols remains at the same level as
complexity of simple procedures without cognitive
extensions.
 V. CONCLUSIONS
This paper describes application of cognitive
cryptography approaches in creation of secure captcha visual
codes, and perceptual cryptographic keys.
Personal characteristics used in such procedures can be
extracted from biometric pattern or movements sequences. It
allows to create authorization protocols, and procedures,
which can be applied for visual information sharing.
Perceptual or behavioral features can be extracted by
cognitive vision systems, which allow to evaluate personal
unique parameters. The main idea of applying the above
features is to create personalized and secure authentication
and verification procedures. The universality of such
protocols allows them to be used in different applications for
example data encryption, but also for information distribution
in the Cloud. Presented approach can be also expanded to use
by individuals with different cognitive skills. In such cases it
is necessary to apply only such personal features, which not
change over time and are mainly linked to biometric patterns
for security purposes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work has been supported by the AGH University of
Science and Technology research Grant No 11.11.120.329.
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