What are the application of Steganography?

Steganography is also represented as the art and science of hiding data by embedding messages within apparently harmless messages. Steganography works by restoring bits of useless or unused information in regular computer files. This hidden data can be plaintext or ciphertext and even images.

Steganography hides the covert message but not the fact that two parties are connecting with each other. The steganography procedure frequently includes locating a hidden message in some transport medium, known as the carrier.

The secret message is embedded in the carrier to form the steganography channel. The need of a steganography key can be employed for encryption of the hidden message and for randomization in the steganography design.

There are various application of steganography which are as follows −

Digital Watermarking − Digital watermarking is the procedure of embedding data into a digital signal in a way that is complex to delete. The signal can be audio, pictures or video.

For example, if the signal is copied, and then the data is also carried in the copy. A signal can carry several multiple watermarks at the same time.

Visible Watermarking − In this visible watermarking, the information is visible in the picture or video. Generally, the information is text or a logo which recognizes the owner of the media. When a television broadcaster insert its logo to the corner of transmitted video, and this is also a visible watermark.

Invisible Watermarking − In this invisible watermarking, information is inserted as digital data to audio, picture or video, but it cannot be perceived as such (although it can be possible to recognize that some amount of data is hidden).

The watermark can be pre-determined for extensive use and is therefore create simply to fetch or it can be a form of Steganography, where a party connects a hidden message installed in the digital signal.

In invisible watermarking, the goals is to connect ownership or other descriptive data to the signal in an approach that is complex to remove. It is also applicable to use hidden embedded data as a means of covert connection between individuals.

Digital Watermarking can be used for a broad range of applications including Copyright protection Source Tracking (there are multiple recipients have differently watermarked content). The numbers of possible applications for digital watermarking technologies are developing very quickly.

For instance, in the field of data security, watermarks can be used for certification, authentication, and conditional approach. Certification is an important problem for official files, including identity cards or passports.

Digital watermarks are generated by transforming copyright information into apparently random digital "noise" utilizing an algorithm that is imperceptible to all but special watermark reading application. So while a JPEG document that is read by an internet browser can display a good picture, that same file will show the copyright when read by the watermark application.