Steganography:
Forensic, Security, and Legal Issues
 

Merrill Warkentin
Mississippi State University
m.warkentin@msstate.edu

Ernst Bekkering
Northeastern State University
bekkerin@nsuok.edu

Mark B. Schmidt
St. Cloud State University
mbschmidt@stcloudstate.edu
 

ABSTRACT

Steganography has long been regarded as a tool used for illicit and destructive purposes such as crime and warfare. Currently, digital tools are widely available to ordinary computer users also. Steganography software allows both illicit and legitimate users to hide messages so that they will not be detected in transit. This article provides a brief history of steganography, discusses the current status in the computer age, and relates this to forensic, security, and legal issues. The paper concludes with recommendations for digital forensics investigators, IT staff, individual users, and other stakeholders.
 

Keywords: steganography, data hiding, information hiding, digital forensics, computer law, computer security, steganalysis, privacy