CYBERSECURITY: DATA PROTECTION USING HYBRID ENCRYPTION & STEGANOGRAPHY

Abstract

In the era of rapidly expanding digital communication, ensuring secure data transmission has become a critical concern in cybersecurity. This study proposes a robust data protection framework that integrates hybrid encryption techniques with steganography to enhance confidentiality, integrity, and stealth of sensitive information. The hybrid encryption approach combines the strengths of symmetric encryption for fast data processing and asymmetric encryption for secure key exchange, thereby improving overall security efficiency. To further strengthen protection, steganography is employed to conceal encrypted data within digital media such as images, audio, or video files, making the presence of the secret information undetectable to unauthorized users. This dual-layer security mechanism not only safeguards data from interception and cryptographic attacks but also reduces the risk of detection during transmission. The proposed system is designed to be efficient, scalable, and suitable for realtime applications in areas such as secure communication, military data exchange, and financial transactions.