Obfuscation and Anonymization Transformation: Difference between revisions

'''Obfuscation''' is a code transformation technique used to make source code difficult to read and understand while preserving its functionality. This process typically involves renaming identifiers, restructuring code, or inserting misleading elements to obscure the original logic. Obfuscation is often used to protect intellectual property, prevent reverse engineering, or secure sensitive logic in software. While the transformed code remains executable, it becomes significantly harder for humans to analyze, ensuring that key implementation details are concealed without altering program behavior.

While obfuscation maintains the original functionality of the code, additional changes can be applied to further enhance the security and confidentiality of the code. We call this enhanced transformation '''Anonymization'''. Anonymization goes a step further and may destroy link compatibility, making it impossible to link the obfuscated code with the original source code or other modules. This is particularly useful when sharing code for debugging or analysis without revealing sensitive information.