Among the uploaded data one could have on a community site, the images are known to be the most sensitive ones. The illegal use of these unprotected images has been a popular issue nowadays. It is one thing how the system stores these images, but it is another thing what great damage can cause the unauthorized use of them. The tracking of these images can be solved by using steganographic methods and by embedding hidden watermarks. The protected images then can be found by a search-bot that analizes the data downloaded from the web. If necessary it can inform the original owner (of the image.) We can also use cryptography to prove the ownership rights as timestamp and digital signature can reveal the time of the creation and the owner of the image unambiguously. The selected pictures can undergo several transformations (zoom in/out, cut, file format conversions) as they are employed by different users but good quality watermarks can resist these types of attacks.

Embedding the suitable watermark requires complicated computing operations. The SDX product family developed by E-Group provides the electronic signature and the timestamp.

Thw original problem emerged due to the defects of data security. Within the framework of WEB2GRID R&D project we embedded the products of E-Group in the application. It has been developed for Facebook social network and the users can select their own images on the page itself. Afterwards it becomes processed on the server operated by E-Group. Initially the application selects the appropriate watermark by means of running a few parameters in a pre-set intervallum.The GRID infrastructure does support this very process.

We have made a demo application from these elements. The Web2.0 social networks could be integrated with a developer API. This API downloads the images from the social sites. Our server posts these data with the watermarking parameteres to the GRID. The GRID embeds the watermark in the images and sends the result back. After that, the server signs the watermarked pictures. As a result these pictures become protected; now we are able to upload them to the Web2.0 safe and secure.