Digital watermarking for the authentication of AVS data

In Advanced Video-based Surveillance (AVS) applications, if AVS video sequences have to be used as proofs on a legal basis it is important to verify the identity of the content originator, and whether the content has been modified or falsified since its distribution. These requirements have been until now satisfied by using digital signatures and cryptographic algorithms. However, digital watermarking techniques can be used as an alternative for the content verification. It is the purpose of this work to discuss the possibility of using watermarking to ensure the integrity of the image data produced by AVS systems. The main requirements watermarking algorithms must satisfy for the correct implementation of an AVS authentication scheme are outlined and some possible solutions based on the state of the art in the field are described.