---
tags: Steganography, Cyber Shujaa
---
tags: `Steganography` `Cyber Shujaa`

# Covert File Hiding! 😎

# Steganography
The term means ***the technique of hiding secret data within an ordinary, non-secret, file or message in order to avoid detection; the secret data is then extracted at its destination***. Usually the hidden data is set in such a manner that the presence of the information is not evident to normal human inspection.

### Use Cases:
This method has been known to be used in various scenarios for:
* Hiding ***malware*** in sharable files.
* Hiding ***secret covert messages*** by intelligence agencies.
* Embedding ***security features in Bank-note printing***, to prevent color copiers from reproducing images of currency (*exposing fake-notes*).
* ....and many many more.

## Practice:

You can create and start using Steganography straight from your Linux machine easily as described below:

1. Install the tool: ***steghide***

2. Confirm installation is successful by running steghide help menu

3. We can now use steghide to embed text data into an image
i. Let’s create a simple text file for embedding

ii. Hide the secret message in a picture and secure it with a passphrase

4. When the data is hidden in the image, the original file size increases depending on how big the file is.

5. To extract you simply do the reverse and provide a passphrase
i. 

ii. 

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### Bonus!!:
* The image used on this post has a hidden message
* Use steghide to unravel the mystery
* "The title is the passphrase"😉
* Good luck. Happy hunting!