A spread spectrum method and apparatus for protecting and authenticating wirelessly transmitted digital information using numerous techniques. The apparatus may be a wireless code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system, a base station, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), a transmitter, a receiver and/or an integrated circuit (IC). The wireless CDMA communication system includes a transmitter which steganographically embeds digital information in a CDMA communication signal and wirelessly transmits the CDMA communication signal. The system further includes a receiver which receives the CDMA communication signal and extracts the steganographically embedded digital information from the received CDMA communication signal.