Is “Security by Obscurity” An Obsolete Concept?
The term “security by obscurity” has been around for a long time. Traditionally, this has referred to the idea that the best way to keep a system safe is to keep its design (and any potential vulnerabilities) a secret. To many, “security by obscurity” has also represented the idea that there is safety in numbers, such as on a social media network that has hundreds of millions of users. One might argue that the intersection of social media, online platforms that gather and sometimes sell (for legitimate purposes) personal data, and peoples’ addiction to electronic communication convenience, may call for a new way of thinking about one’s own (or a client’s) security by obscurity.
