This document provides an overview of data compression techniques. It discusses both lossless compression methods like run-length encoding and Huffman coding as well as lossy compression used in JPEG and MPEG standards. Lossy compression is acceptable for images and video since the human eye cannot perceive subtle changes, while lossless compression preserves integrity for text files. Applications of data compression include satellite imagery, MP3s, digital cameras, and storage of medical scans. Future work may explore more robust and error resilient compression as well as techniques using encrypted data packets.