Study and Comparative Analysis of Data Hiding Methods for Animated GIFs

In this paper, we study and comparatively analyze the available data hiding methods for animated GIFs. Since there exist different data hiding techniques, and the choice of technique can greatly affect the security and robustness of the resulting stego-media. So, to provide guidance to the prospective researchers and users, an evaluation of several popular animated GIF based data hiding techniques which include LSB substitution, palette-based, frame-based, among others. Our experiments involve analyzing those data hiding techniques based on their imperceptibility, payload capacity, and resistance to common attacks such as visual inspection and statistical analysis. The findings suggest that while some techniques offer better payload capacity, others provide stronger security and resistance to detection. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of each technique and providing recommendations for their practical use in various data hiding applications.