Obfuscation Techniques in Data Security:
Steganography:
- Conceals a message with another to hide its very existence
- Involves altering image or data elements to embed hidden information
- Primary goal is to prevent the suspicion that there’s any hidden data at all
- Used alongside encryption for added security
- Detection is challenging due to hiding data in plain sight
Tokenization:
- Substitutes sensitive data with non-sensitive tokens
- Original data securely stored elsewhere
- Tokens have no intrinsic value
- Reduces exposure of sensitive data during transactions
- Commonly used for payment systems to comply with security standards
Data Masking (Data Obfuscation)
- Disguises original data to protect sensitive information
- Maintains data authenticity and usability
- Used in testing environments, especially for software development
- Reduces the risk of data breaches in non-production settings
- Common in industries handling personal data
- Masks portions of sensitive data for privacy, e.g., credit card digits, social security numbers