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Obfuscation

What is Obfuscation?

Techniques used to make code, data, or communications deliberately difficult to understand, used both defensively and by attackers to evade detection.

Information Security

What the standards actually require on obfuscation

Requirements naming obfuscation across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

Effective, consistent obfuscation techniques are defined for data security concerns with criteria for choosing among them (data utility and referential integrity needs, sensitivity classification, location of the store, the perimeters at which elements must be...

edm-council-cdmc-cloud-data-management-capability-framework::4.1.3 · 4.1.3 Data obfuscation techniques are defined and applied →
OWASP MASVS2 controls

Per OWASP MASVS v2 MASVS-RESILIENCE: resilience against reverse engineering + tampering. Requirements include (a) understand resilience is defence in depth + not replacement for server-side controls + (b) implement anti-debugging + anti-tampering + anti-hookin...

OWASPMASVS-7 · MASVS-RESILIENCE: Resilience Against Reverse Engineering →

Critical security parameters such as usernames and passwords, API keys or private keys are not hard-coded in the device software source code, since reverse engineering finds them readily and obfuscation is easily broken.

etsi-en-303-645::Provision 5.4-3 · No hard-coded critical security parameters in source code →

Minimise the use of personally identifiable information for research, testing and training through data obfuscation, randomisation, anonymisation or synthetic data.

fbi-cjis-security-policy::SI-12(2) · SI-12(2) Information Management and Retention | Minimize Personally Identifiable Information in Testing, Training, and Research →

Interpretation depends on knowing how each item came to exist, which may need information from people who run the systems day to day; its reliability is tested and the probative weight given reflects it.

iso-iec-27042-2015::8.3 · 8.3 Factors affecting interpretation →

Interpretation: building an explanation, inside agreed limits, of the facts that examination and analysis produced (3.9). ISO/IEC 27042 clause 8 (held) sets out how: derive meaning by evaluating the evidence in its context;

iso-iec-27043-2015::10.4 · 10.4 Digital evidence interpretation process →

Questions people ask about obfuscation

What is Obfuscation?
Techniques used to make code, data, or communications deliberately difficult to understand, used both defensively and by attackers to evade detection.
Why is Obfuscation important for compliance?
Obfuscation is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding obfuscation helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Obfuscation?
Obfuscation appears in the requirement text of EDM Council CDMC - Cloud Data Management Capability Framework, OWASP MASVS, ETSI EN 303 645, FBI CJIS Security Policy, ISO/IEC 27042:2015. Across these standards we have identified 8 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Obfuscation?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how obfuscation applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 1,016 frameworks.

See how Obfuscation applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.