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Security Fundamentals & Crypto · Foundational

Steganography

Hiding the existence of data inside other data, such as an image, audio, or network traffic.

Definition

Steganography conceals a message so observers do not realize it exists, unlike encryption which hides only its meaning. Common techniques include least significant bit substitution in images and data hidden in protocol fields. Attackers use it for covert exfiltration and command and control.

Example

A tool like steghide embeds a text file inside the low-order bits of a JPEG.

Exam tip

Steganography hides existence; encryption hides content. They can be combined.

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