Which technique hides data inside an image by manipulating the least significant bits?

• A. RSA encryption
• B. Base64 encoding
• C. LSB steganography
• D. Data compression

Answer: (C)

Hiding data inside an image by changing the least significant bits is a form of steganography called LSB steganography. The idea is to replace the least significant bit in each pixel value (or in selected pixels) with bits of the secret payload. Because the LSB contributes only a tiny amount to the color value, these changes are usually imperceptible to the eye, allowing a message to be embedded within the image without obvious alteration. This technique leverages the vast amount of pixel data in images to carry covert information, and it’s a classic approach for concealing data. Other methods listed don’t fit: RSA encrypts data but doesn’t hide it inside an image; Base64 encodes binary data into text, not into image pixels; data compression reduces size rather than conceal content.