Lecture on Obfuscation and Steganography

Introduction to Obfuscation

• Obfuscation is the process of making something more difficult to understand.
• It involves turning clear data into something less clear.
• Knowing the method of obfuscation allows reversal to access original data.

Key Concept: Hiding Information in Plain Sight

• Obfuscation hides information in plain sight.
• Only those who know how the data was hidden can recognize it.

Steganography

• Steganography: hiding information within an image.
  • Derived from Greek, meaning "concealed writing."
  • A form of "security through obscurity."
  • If the process is known, data can be easily recovered.
• Example:
  • Data hidden within an image is not visible.
  • The image containing data is called "cover text."
• Steganography can also be applied in other media:
  • Network Traffic: Embedding messages in TCP packets.
  • Printed Documents: Hidden dots as machine identification codes.
  • Audio and Video: Information hidden in audio files or video tracks.

Obfuscation Through Tokenization

• Tokenization: Replacing sensitive data with a token.
  • Example: Social Security numbers replaced with tokens.
  • Allows secure transmission across networks.
  • Tokens do not have a direct mathematical relationship to original data.

Tokenization in Credit Card Transactions

• Process involves:
  • Registering a credit card on a mobile phone.
  • Receiving tokens from a token service server.
  • Using tokens for transactions via nearfield communication.
• Security:
  • If captured, tokens are useless without the server's reverse lookup.
  • Tokens are one-time use and discarded after transactions.

Data Masking

• Data Masking: Hiding parts of original data.
  • Often seen in credit card receipts as asterisks with last four digits visible.
  • Protects against unauthorized use of captured data.
  • Used by customer service to limit exposure of sensitive information.

Conclusion

• Obfuscation and steganography are critical in data security.
• Techniques like tokenization and data masking provide secure ways to handle sensitive data.