Ancient art has evolved over the years to better fit into the digital world. One technique that has grown with time and gained significant importance during the last decade is Steganography.

Let’s take a closer look at the nuances of Steganography today and understand how this sought-after method can help enhance data security and set up firm protocols within organizations. 

What is Steganography?

Steganography is the art of concealing a covert message within or on top of an object that is visible to everyone. Steganography has lately expanded to include embedding hidden text into photographs as well as putting coded messages or scripts into Word or Excel documents.

Steganography can conceal messages using any medium. Let me put a stop to you now if you are thinking about cryptography. Steganography does not entail data scrambling, which requires a key, as does cryptography. There are various ingenious techniques to carry out this type of information concealment.

Because Steganography requires both secrecy and deception, cryptography promotes privacy. Let’s examine its function now that we are aware of what Steganography is. The main goal is to conceal or deceive, as is pretty obvious. That is a type of clandestine communication, after all.

Who Uses Steganography?

When hackers seek to embed malicious code, they generally utilize Steganography. By changing a common file bit and adding malicious code to it, they are able to do this.

When a user opens a file or image that contains malicious code, they unwittingly download the code, which activates the virus and either allows the hacker to take over the user’s network or corrupts the material. It is impossible to quickly recognize the steganographic file since it differs from the original so minutely.

Malicious attackers employ Steganography to carry out a variety of activities, like hiding script files and harmful payloads. Malware authors employ Least Significant Bit (LSB) Steganography to cover their malicious code in pictures of well-known persons or tunes. After the file is downloaded to the target computer system, these programs are then run by another application.

Steganography is used by people other than just cyber criminals. Spies use it to communicate surreptitiously with their command center while avoiding raising suspicion in their targets’ eyes. Nonconformists and human rights advocates frequently use this approach to exchange sensitive material.

Difference between Steganography and Cryptography

Steganography and cryptography are frequently contrasted and misunderstood. While cryptography focuses primarily on making content unreadable to everyone but the intended recipient, Steganography is used to hide information. Data that has been encrypted can only be decrypted with the aid of a decryption key.

You may be asking yourself why to use Steganography when cryptography offers superior data security. In any case, the existence of cryptography alone proves that something is hidden. In fact, the sender usually raises suspicion and finds themselves in difficulty. Detectable cryptographic files exist.

If someone has the key, even the most secure encryption is useless. Rescuing the key for sensitive material is not uncommon, particularly when it comes to issues of national security.

Wrapping Up

So, this was all you needed to know about Steganography. You can turn to Education Nest and learn more about cybersecurity with our insightful courses.

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