How does steganography differ from encryption?

The distinction between steganography and encryption is fundamentally rooted in their purposes regarding data confidentiality. Steganography focuses on concealing the very existence of a message, making it undetectable to anyone who might be monitoring communications. This is achieved by embedding the message within a different medium, such as an image or a sound file, allowing it to blend in seamlessly with innocuous content.

In contrast, encryption is concerned with obfuscating the content of a message so that, even if the message is intercepted, it cannot be read without the corresponding decryption key. While both techniques serve the purpose of securing information, steganography's unique attribute is its capability to hide the message altogether, rather than merely scrambling its content for protection.

This understanding emphasizes the operational differences between the two methods and clarifies why the correct answer centers around the fundamental role of steganography in masking existence rather than content.