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Secret Layer Light Giveaway
$29
EXPIRED

Giveaway of the day — Secret Layer Light

Encrypt and hide confidential data in images with Secret Layer Light.
$29 EXPIRED
User rating: 342 41 comments

Secret Layer Light was available as a giveaway on November 6, 2012!

Today Giveaway of the Day
$49.95
free today
Helps you get back all kinds of lost or deleted data on Android devices.

Secret Layer lets you encrypt your data and then hide that encrypted data in ordinary images, like the ones used every day on all websites and email attachments. Secret Layer very slightly tweaks the color of specific pixels. You can't distinguish the altered photo from the original one.

Any time you transfer an encrypted file to someone by email, Skype, or another method, anyone on your network can see that you're transferring something encrypted. But when you hide your data in a image, to everyone else it looks like you're uploading another photo to the web, just like billions of other people. In other words, your photo can slip away in the crowd, no different from everyone else.

Note that 3 useful improvement ideas will be rewarded with Secret Layer Pro. Use Idea Informer widget to submit your feedback and do not forget to fill in your name and e-mail – otherwise the Developer will not be able to contact you in case you are the one to win!

System Requirements:

Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP, both x32 and x64; Processor: 2.0 GHz; RAM: 512 Mb (Recommended 2GB); 25 Mb of available HD space

Publisher:

Easysector

Homepage:

http://www.steganographypro.com/

File Size:

15.8 MB

Price:

$29

Comments on Secret Layer Light

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Please add a comment explaining the reason behind your vote.
#41

The author claims: "You can’t distinguish the altered photo from the original one." Yet in several tests with *.png files, I had no trouble spotting the altered photo. The reason: this didn't just "tweak bits" in the original as claimed----it added bits to the *.png container file increasing it's size by more than 800% (yes, >800%).

The output overwrote my original file - WITHOUT ASKING. The GUI is horrible with some unnecessary baggage.

Freeware alternatives have this easily beat many, many times over.

As the sales pitch for this is so different from reality, I wonder if the "author" actually licenses this software from another source and doesn't really understand what this does (and does not do).

Reply   |   Comment by Ryan  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (0)
#40

The program hides the text in the photo - was already on the giveaway! I have it here somewhere on my computer but I forgot her name and I can not find one - Maybe someone remembers?

Reply   |   Comment by Antyk  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-1)
#39

Hi again, I can now be sure this Software that is given away here on GAOTD for free - has EXTREMELY limited use!!

Publisher of Secret Layer (Easysector) FAILED to mention in description (here and on help pages on their Site for that matter) that indeed in order to send encrypted picture to someone - that person HAS TO HAVE the same Software at their end to BE ABLE to drag the hidden message out of the image after receiving it!

Hence - TWO (or more), never one, must be downloaded/purchased(!!), clever, eh? Getting it for free only works if both (or more) "owners" of it don't lose it from their PCs, phones, what ever..

So if EXCHANGE of such Images is the biggest attraction, if not purpose of it - Forget about free!:), Forget about limited Light Version too, go and spend $85 for Secret Layer Pro, advice your friends to do the same, and perhaps ONLY THEN you can indulge in playing this Game! It's nothing more than expensive GADGET!

As it is, and for those downloading today single Light Version to their PCs for free - Make sure you don't start REPLACING important Data with countless Images, unless you already like it so much - you're thinking of purchasing it, or you might be sorry indeed when one day, after some crash - you're left with.. a bunch of pretty, but useless "otherwise" pictures, and to rescue anything at all - you'll be forced to buy this Software.

PS. Interesting piece of Advice they give on their website..Hide this Software on your PC, so possible "hackers" cannot find the existence of it easily.., hmm, gets better and better, what a weapon!:)

Reply   |   Comment by fran  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+2)
#38

I tried to hide the text
ole.dole.doff.kinke.lane.koff.koffe.lane.binke.bane.ole.dole.doff
in a gif-file. The program created a new gif file with the same name but in a different map. Then I tried to recover the text with the same program - after restarting it - but the program could not find it
so I stay with using handcryp with biologically created predelivered keys longer than the messages and can then also be sure there is no backdoor, ... healthy paranoid as I am :)

Reply   |   Comment by Ingvar  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+3)
#37

This GiveAway is a basic software for 'hiding' data in an image. It works well for hiding data from 80% of the world's population that doesn't know that data can be 'hidden' in an image.

The Completely Free/Open OpenPuff is a more powerful Much better choice for me.
http://embeddedsw.net/OpenPuff_Steganography_Home.html

Reply   |   Comment by Nafets  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-1)
#36

#33 jdkoops

I was very mad and disappointed about the fact, that the software deleted the source files from my computer that holds the hided files after giving an error that the files i tried to hide could not be hided, no warnings shown like "keep in mind, i will kill your original source file immediately for no reason if i can not hide anything in the input file you gave me", then i had the choice to decline the operation but there wasn't any warning or any return. I used an recovery program to get those files back i tested with that program, ALL INPUT SOURCE FILES HAVE BEEN ERASED COMPLETELY AND RECOVERY WAS NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY OVERWRITTEN, FROM WTH WHATEVER.

I'm not sure if being not the only person who experienced the above should be a consolatory, i guess not.

Uninstalled.

Reply   |   Comment by kin0seC  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+4)
#35

Tested on XP SP3.

I started in Stenography here. It's slightly dated now, but these old observations will give you a solid foundation of understanding.
https://www.google.com/search?q=fravia+Steganography

Today there are a plethora of FREEWARE programs which do stenography

http://www.softpedia.com/dyn-search.php?search_term=Steganography&Submit=Search&license_filter=1&sort_field=0&lastupd_filter=0&results_per_page=20

The no jpg thing is really a bold move.

I've hid text in both graphic and video files, the video files give much more ROOM to data hide in.

Today's offer does not have such choices.

Furthermore...

Throws an "Exception error"

Deletes Original files without warning

Failed to hide the typed text message

"
Hellow Morining
Hellow Sunchine
"

Failed to hide the imported plain ascii text .txt file with the same text message

Thumbs down. Sorry, miserable fail.
End of Test

Reply   |   Comment by Fredward  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+4)
#34

To enhance security even more I would use this program to hide texts that are already encrypted by another program or by handcryp.

Reply   |   Comment by GE  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-3)
#33

Possibility to set the duration of encryption. It may be convenient and funny.

Reply   |   Comment by Tomisa  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-19)
#32

This seems like primarily a way to distribute malware or stolen software and is to be deplored. Just encrypt what you want encrypted. If it isn't anything malicious or illegal then there is no reason not to want people to see that an encrypted file has been transferred.

Reply   |   Comment by Coly Moore  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-33)
#31

If you save the output file in the same directory as the input - the program will throw an error and delete the original. Maybe update the app so it simply appends text to output avoiding this frustration.

I understand the jpeg upsell but think you should have offered the program unrestricted with JPEG input for x amount of times for GAOTD. Actually the registered light version should have this ability - as the encryption is only in pro version.

Reply   |   Comment by jdkoops  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+7)
#30

The other problem with this software, besides the JPG issue, is that if you send a picture with an encoded message in it, the person receiving it will also need a copy of this software.

Reply   |   Comment by David  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+17)
#29

Lite Version.
Support for most common image format: None
Hide data in multiple images: None
Data encoring: None
------------------------------------------------------
Bottom line: it can't do anything. Dummy file inside.

This giveaway is ABSOLUTELY USELESS.
You can't try the claimed functionality of this software: you cannot encrypt or hide your data. Just toy with a useless GUI.

Reply   |   Comment by Arrrgh  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+18)
#28

Every time I attempt to register I get the message "invalid key". Doesn't look like something I'm going to be able to use.

Reply   |   Comment by Weat  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+3)
#27

Nr 11,



Link was down but did load after trying serval times. Program install crashes when trying to write the .txt and exe file. Looks nice but my PC, it's browsers (IE and FF) and nortons don't seem to like it very much. Best way to ensure security? Keep it to yourself.

Reply   |   Comment by tc1uscg  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+1)
#26

TrueCrypt does the job for me.

Reply   |   Comment by itsme  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+1)
#25

Since most of us are not CIA or KGB agents.
There is no need to conceal the fact that we have sent a message by sending it within an encrypted photo.
The quality of encryption in such software may not be high.

If we need to encrypt a message, we just do that. And send the encrypted message.

Reply   |   Comment by ric  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-6)
#24

Google up "OpenPuff" ...FREE and far, far superior to today's lite offer.

Reply   |   Comment by Candee Mann  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-4)
#23

When I sent a picture to a friend I actually don't need to encrypt it. I think it's useful for professionist photographers.
But I'm not!

Reply   |   Comment by Sim1  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-52)
#22

Thanks, nice software!

@Aditya (Comment #4): Think about it...

"FBI hackers fail to crack TrueCrypt"
http://news.techworld.com/security/3228701/fbi-hackers-fail-to-crack-truecrypt/

Reply   |   Comment by Luiz Souza  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-6)
#21

Download.
Use wizard and find the most common image format anybody will have is only supported in the PRO version.
Add a PDF file to a GIF.
Try to extract the PDF file from the new GIF
Program says it can't find the data.
Uninstall
End of trial.

Reply   |   Comment by Mark Griffiths  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+35)
#20

Thanks but no thanks, crippleware - as this surly is IMHO (jpeg not supported?!? Really?!?) is a waste of time, and (also IMHO) contrary to the spirit of the GotD...

Too many freeware options to even bother trying something that can't do the most simple things one would expect of such a program, unless one upgrades - ie pays.

Reply   |   Comment by Mr.Bigglesworth  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+27)
#19

ideal for hiding password or banc info info in a text inside a autotgraph so you can retreave it later. Also if yo have a long storie's for the pic, you can incript in in the photo and get it later! Make pefect sence in one neato ap! Thank

Reply   |   Comment by Stortch  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-16)
#18

The Light version, which is pretty useless. Real nice GUI though.

JPG support is lacking but that's no big deal: because of JPG compression stegano is easier to detect in JPG images than in other (lossless) formats.

The last offer by Easysector, BackupSF Pro, was a real disaster so for whoever uses this, I hope this software is better.

Either way, I'm skipping this, had it been the Pro version then maybe we'd be able to actually offer some real feedback.
Thanks anyway GOTD.

@Only User: That doesn't even come close to steganography and again deadeasy to detect just by searching for extra file headers. You're 'hiding' nothing.

Reply   |   Comment by dany  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+26)
#17

Adita and all,

Terrorists have a supply of funding for their uses. I really do not think that they cannot spare even the $85 to buy the Pro version, should they need to.

However, I suspect they do not need this tool since it's being too much less message protecting than a real tough encryption tool.

The idea behind a really strong protection is that even if one "breaks" the code (rather thinks one does) - a virtual message may seem to be yielded from the process that may look logical, in spite of the fact that it is not the message sent among the involved parties, to begin with.

A strong and firm encryption may yield any combination of sort, among which are many other possibilities for messages. Thus the "eavesdropper" party (the one who tries to attack the protection) ends up with amounts useless information that is needed to be sorted out.

So the attacker is encouraged to try and put on the efforts to attack a strong eccryption. Even with a supercomputer it may take many years to reach the right code.

Best wishes to you all and stay safe.

Reply   |   Comment by Ronen  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (0)
#16

http://www.jpegmini.com/ It FREE.

Reply   |   Comment by nitipol  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-16)
#15

A GAOTD offering that might be of some passing interest if you want to dip into steganography, but otherwise this 'Light' version is of little practical purpose because it doesn't handle jpegs.

File size is critical where steganography is concerned because the image is the 'container', and the larger the volume of information to be contained, then the larger the container must be. It helps, then, if the actual construction of the container is as slim as possible to begin with -- which is not the case with any of the formats handled by this offering: bit mapped images, for example, are so large that few are ever going to send 'em as an email attachment, hence the universal popularity of jpeg.

It's unfortunate, then, that the publisher's home page features two side-by-side .jpg images as a way of demonstrating this encryption technique when anyone installing and running today's software will very quickly discover that they can't do likewise.

For those who don't want to spend time downloading and installing this, but are interested in exploring the technique using specific syntax examples, then this may be of interest:

http://imacify.com/2011/03/how-to-hide-text-inside-an-image-trick/

Thanks then, GAOTD, and Easysector, but no thanks: road-testing any vehicle is only of benefit to manufacturer and potential purchaser if that vehicle comes with a full engine, rather than half an engine as offered today.

Reply   |   Comment by MikeR  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+58)
#14

yeah, nobody else knows of this super secret strategy.

Reply   |   Comment by AntonYooo  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-19)
#13

Hi, silly question: when a recipient of such encrypted image gets it via e-mail - do they have to have the same Software (I mean Secret Layer) to extract hidden File??

Otherwise - it's just a "toy" to keep hidden Data on one's PC - provided you mark such picture (for yourself) to know it's "different" than image of the same name.

So far I used it on simple text (can it "hide" exe Files to send to someone?) and extracted that File back with ease. Also where would I be if I lost this Software..? Can it do bulk Files? If not - it's useless on single Files and on top of it - pointless in getting rid of something important and replace it with images, if Software is lost and no way to extract hidden Data..?

Reply   |   Comment by fran  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+37)
#12

trying to start the app on XPsp2, getting this:

Unable to execute file:
....Program Files\SecretLayer\SecretLayer.exe

CreateProcess failed; code 14001
This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.

tested Giveaway version and two from vendors site (exe and zip).

Reply   |   Comment by ants  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-7)
#11

Nice concept but this is once again just the light and limited feature version of the main program. And what happens if you lose the GOTD key of this program?

Besides that, the excellent FREEWARE "Clotho" does much more than this GAOTD for FREE!!

http://clotho.ixenity.tk/feature

See also:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Encrypting/Hide-N-Send.shtml
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Security-Related/Hide-Behind-Image.shtml
http://www.codegazer.com/pixelcryptor

Enjoy!!

Reply   |   Comment by Giovanni  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+131)
#10

We had lite and limited version offers before. I don't waste my time on lite and limited versions. The developer is offering a reward for 3 best improvement ideas. We probably could give them more ideas if we did not have the limited version.

Reply   |   Comment by ASBY  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+78)
#9

supports only .png, .gif, .bmp , whitout encrypion etc... just see comparason chart.

Reply   |   Comment by progrramyzadarmonetpl  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+6)
#8

Not sure of exactly how undetectable this is -- here's a pretty interesting wikipedia link of the subject http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steganography -- but the website for this looks legit and the claimed encryption looks strong. The problem with steganography is the size constraint -- the picture must be substantially larger in byte size than what's encoded into it.

That and the whole 'why bother' thing since, ultimately, if who you are hiding from can break an aes-256 encryption they probably can also detect and break this. Truecrypt, with its undetectable container within a container, seems to make a whole lot more sense for plausible deniability and ease of access. Not having much I need to protect from anyone (beyond Keepass), I'm lining up on this 'why bother' side for both this and Truecrypt.

Btw, as you are reading the link (and footnote 23), ask yourself how the British gov't discovered this stega encryption. Hopefully you aren't up to tricks that would involve gov't interest but this instance (fortunately) was apparently considerably less secure than the bad guys intended.

Reply   |   Comment by Ispy Aladoshus  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+53)
#7

image+archive is a lame method %) image size grows proportionally to data size, and you don't have to be a genius to get that there's something wrong %)

Reply   |   Comment by luvh8  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-18)
#6

>I guess I’m being too paranoid, but if this software is offered free,
>then isn’t there chances of it being misused? I appreciate today’s
>giveaway, but to be honest, I feel there is every chance that this
>software may be used by dishonest people (terrorists and criminals)…

Any encryption and data hiding can be used by dishonest people.

Reply   |   Comment by Tridmiy  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-48)
#5

Lite Version(Giveaway Version, $29)

Supported image formats: .png, .gif, .bmp
Hide data in multiple images: None
Data encoring: None

Pro Version( $85 )
Supported image formats: .png, .gif, .bmp +JPG /// :D
Hide data in multiple images: Use multiple images to hide any amount of data.
Data encoring: Protect your data with one of the eight type of encryption. Select encryption type, password and key length. Read more about encryption. In this case – you hide protected data in images.


No, thanks. :)

Example article(tutorial): How to Hide Files in JPEG/BMP/PNG/GIF/ANY PICTURES FILE TYPE for FREE with COPY command in Windows + WinRAR
P.S. WinRAR is SHAREWARE, but working and after trial period(40 days) with full functionality.

Or search in Google... something like this: CLICK (for other tutorial)

Reply   |   Comment by Only User  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+69)
#4

I guess I'm being too paranoid, but if this software is offered free, then isn't there chances of it being misused? I appreciate today's giveaway, but to be honest, I feel there is every chance that this software may be used by dishonest people (terrorists and criminals)...

Reply   |   Comment by Aditya  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-249)
#3

Just a couple of notes--Secret Layer Light is quite limited compared to the Pro version. Steganography can be detected, mathematics is a wonderful thing. For US users, today's Google Doodle provides useful information.

Reply   |   Comment by Fubar  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (+30)
#2

No way this can have 66% up ! There are so many free alternatives, plus this is of very specific use !

Reply   |   Comment by NYB  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-127)
#1

cryptography 101

Reply   |   Comment by Nishikanth  –  11 years ago  –  Did you find this comment useful? yes | no (-162)
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