Hidden Data in Images: What Happens When You Compress? 🖼️

A few weeks back I did a project of hiding messages in a PNG image [https://youtu.be/R7MefU_tl10?si=nutbine4tC0WgJG_] but a user suggested it was kinda fragile, and I should check out the DCT method for hiding data in a way that can survive compression. I was intrigued, and that idea became the basis for this project.

The technique is a hybrid approach: it uses a JPEG data-hiding method on the contents of a PNG, then saves the modified result back into the lossless PNG format. This setup allowed me to test if the hidden message would survive being re-compressed later—and the results were surprising!

The math and logic behind this technique were genuinely challenging, but it was a fascinating challenge, so I've done my best to interpret it correctly. That being said, I'm always learning! If you have any feedback on my implementation, suggestions for improvement, or other thoughts, please share them in the comments section – it's greatly appreciated!

I feel like there is a lot I left out but i wanted to keep this video as short as possible.


[Code Link Repositories]: https://github.com/EdTheDev254/DCT-image-steganography


steganography,
coding,
code,
Python,
Cryptography,
Data,
Security