What best defines "data steganography"?

Data steganography is best defined as the practice of hiding data within other non-secret data to avoid detection. This technique allows for the concealed communication of information by embedding it into a medium such as images, audio files, or even text. By disguising the existence of the hidden data, steganography effectively minimizes the likelihood of detection from unauthorized observers, who may be intercepting or analyzing communication channels.

This approach differs significantly from encryption, where the data is still present but transformed into an unreadable format, making option A less appropriate. Additionally, while transferring data over secure channels is important for ensuring privacy and security, it does not involve concealing the data within another format, making option C an inaccurate description of steganography. Lastly, the practice of deleting unnecessary data files, which is referred to as data purging or data cleaning, has no connection to the concept of steganography, as it neither involves hiding data nor concealing its existence. Thus, the essence of data steganography lies in the clever embedding of secret data within innocuous content to ensure it remains unnoticed.