What is the most common method of steganography?

The most common method of steganography is the Least Significant Bits (LSB) technique. This method involves modifying the least significant bits of pixel values in an image to conceal information. Since the least significant bits have a minimal effect on the overall appearance of the image, changes made in these bits are often imperceptible to the human eye, making LSB an effective way to hide data within images.

The LSB technique is particularly popular because of its balance of simplicity and effectiveness, as it allows for a significant amount of data to be embedded within an image without raising suspicion. Additionally, since images are widely used and shared, manipulating them offers numerous opportunities for hiding information without detection.

Other methods such as text encoding involve inserting data directly into text characters, which can be less effective since patterns may be more easily detected. Image watermarking specifically refers to a technique used primarily for copyright protection rather than general steganographic purposes, while file hiding simply hides a file within a system without altering its structure to conceal data in a way typical to steganography.