Although security is nothing new, the way that security has become a part of our daily lives today is absolutely un-precedented. From the pass codes that we use to enter our own highly secured homes, to the retina-scanning technology that identifies us as we enter our places of work, to the scanners at the departures gates, we have simply, and un-knowingly made security technology as much a part of our daily lives as the telephone, or the automobile, or your drink of choice for that matter!
We are also surrounded by a world of confidential information. We leave them to you to name those confidential information if you wish! But, by all means, be particularly careful what you write down on your "harm-less" notes at the public places. The "Big Brother" may want to speak with you somehow, and very soon, indeed!
The famous Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar used cryptography to en-code political directives of major consequences that have impacted the course of the world history as we have come to know it now.
The steganography commonly referred to as "stego" which is basically, the art of hidden writings, has also been used for generations in many cultures. But, the intersection of these schemes with the pervasive use of the Internet, the high-speed computers, and the transmission technology that is evolving any second, and, of course, our current world political climate, makes this a very unique moment, indeed, in our individual lives for considering how we could possibly protect our own confidential information whatever that might be...
Steganography derives from the Greek words of "Steganos", which means "covered" or "secret", and "Graphy", which means "writing" or "drawing". On the simplest level, steganography is hidden writing, whether it consists of invisible ink on a piece of paper, or copyright information hidden in an audio file of some sort, or your love letter hidden in an image file.