Forensic Techniques Applied to Image Authenticity Using Steganalysis and Metadata
摘要
This article presents the development and implementation of a forensic mobile application aimed at verifying the authenticity of digital images through Error Level Analysis (ELA), steganalysis (LSB and Chi-square test), and EXIF metadata evaluation. This proposal addresses the growing need to identify possible manipulations in visual files shared in digital environments. The adopted methodology was descriptive, bibliographic, and experimental. The system was built incrementally, progressively integrating functional modules. The application was validated through functional tests in five scenarios simulating real cases of editing or hidden information insertion, achieving an effectiveness rate above 85% in controlled environments. Additionally, a survey conducted among Information Technology students revealed that 71.4% were unaware of forensic tools, motivating the design of a mobile-accessible solution. Although the Chi-square independence test did not show statistical significance, it indicated a favorable trend between prior knowledge and detection ability. These findings suggest that this tool can be useful in educational, judicial, and cybersecurity contexts by facilitating the technical analysis of images without requiring specialized equipment, also contributing to promoting digital verification culture and information security literacy.