What is "security through obscurity"

alt. (context security computing English) Relying on a potential attacker's lack of knowledge as a means of security. n. (context security computing English) Relying on a potential attacker's lack of knowledge as a means of security.

In security engineering, security through obscurity (or security by obscurity) is the reliance on the secrecy of the design or implementation as the main method of providing security for a system or component of a system. A system or component relying on obscurity may have theoretical or actual security vulnerabilities, but its owners or designers believe that if the flaws are not known, that will be sufficient to prevent a successful attack. Security experts have rejected this view as far back as 1851, and advise that obscurity should never be the only security mechanism.