In steganography, the ________ is the data to be covertly communicated. In other words, it is the message you want to hide.

• A. payload
• B. carrier
• C. cover text
• D. stego data

Answer: (A)

In steganography, the payload is the data you want to covertly communicate—the actual message you intend to hide. It’s the secret content, distinct from the medium that carries it. The carrier (such as an image, audio file, or text) is the host that appears ordinary but is used to conceal the payload. The cover text is a type of carrier when the host data is plain text, and the stego data is the finished object after the payload has been embedded (the host data now containing the hidden message). So the payload is the hidden message itself, which is why it’s the correct choice.