What does the term 'steganography' refer to?

The term 'steganography' specifically refers to the practice of hiding a message or file within another file. This technique allows for covert communication by concealing the existence of the information rather than just encrypting it. Unlike encryption, which transforms a message into a format that is unreadable without a key, steganography aims to make the message itself invisible or undetectable. By embedding secret data into a seemingly innocuous file—such as images, audio, or text—it provides an additional layer of security and stealth.

The other options represent different concepts. For instance, storing files securely pertains to methods of protecting data without necessarily hiding it within other files, while digital encryption is about encoding messages to protect their content. Compression techniques focus on reducing file size for efficient storage rather than on hiding information. Thus, the focus of steganography on concealment makes it distinct and defines its purpose in the realm of information security.