Stegger

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Updated: 08/27/2006

Stegger: This class can be used to hide encrypted data in images using steganography which is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one apart from the intended recipient knows of the existence of the message. It reads a given image in GIF, JPEG or PNG formats, encrypts data supplied by the user (a message, a file, a collection of both) and hides the encrypted data in the image by making subtle colour changes to certain pixels to store the data in the image symbolically. The resulting image is generated in PNG format (because PNG is lossless). The advantage of steganography over cryptography alone is that messages do not attract attention to themselves, to messengers, or to recipients. An unhidden coded message, no matter how unbreakable it is, will arouse suspicion and may in itself be incriminating, as in some countries encryption is illegal.