Word.ws English Dictionary

security-by-obscurity

security-by-obscurity is the alternative form of security through obscurity.

Meaning of security through obscurity

Phrase

security through obscurity

  1. (computer security) The habit or practice of relying on a potential attacker's lack of knowledge will maintain security.
    • This security through obscurity proved adequate for our prototype, but it was unacceptable for a turnin service in wide use.1990, W Cattey, The Evolution of turnin A Classroom Oriented File Exchange Service, USENIX Summer Conference

Questions about security-by-obscurity

What is security-by-obscurity the alternative form of?
Security-by-obscurity is the alternative form of security through obscurity.

Words near security-by-obscurity in the dictionary

  1. security theatre
  2. security through obscurity
  3. security van
  4. security vans
  5. security-by-design
  6. security-by-obscurity
  7. security-through-obscurity
  8. securitywise
  9. securocracies
  10. securocracy
  11. securocrat

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: security-by-obscurity (page history and authors); security through obscurity (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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