Patent ID: 7039192

Claim:
A method for embedding a message within a file, comprising: generating a random key; encrypting the random key to produce an encrypted random key; encrypting the message to produce an encrypted message; and embedding the encrypted random key and the encrypted message in the file, at least one of the encrypted random key and the encrypted message being embedded in random locations throughout the file, wherein the embedding further includes: seeding a random number generator with an intended recipient's public key, and supplementally seeding the random number generator with the random key, embedding the encrypted message at locations in the file corresponding to random numbers generated by the random number generator after supplementally seeding the random number generator with the random key until a total number of bits embedded equals a predetermined percentage of available space within the file, and embedding the encrypted message at sequential unused locations in the file when the total number of bits embedded exceeds the predetermined percentage of available space within the file.