For instance, a seemingly innocent digital photo of a dog could be doctored to contain a picture of an explosive device or hidden wording.
Of course, the _real_ message wasn't hidden in subtle stego bits - it was whether the picture was Bush's dog, Cheney's dog, or Blair's dog.
It recommends investigators consult the RCMP's technological crime program for assistance, including "comprehensive forensic examinations" of seized digital media.
The more serious problem is what this means for computer evidence search and seizure procedures - the US has some official rules about "copy the disk and return the computer" that came out of the Steve Jackson case, not that they're always followed; I don't know if the Canadians are more or less polite about returning computers, but this kind of thing increases the chances of harassment of various ethnic and political organizations "We're keeping your computer as evidence of potential crimes, but we haven't actually charged you with a crime yet and won't do so unless we can find the hidden stego evidence."
----
Bill Stewart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
