[trashb]

Security is the lock on the safe.

Obscurity is the information you need to find the safe.

All security can eventually be broken, given enough time, this is why A very useful measure for the security of a lock is how long it takes to break. The same is true for cryptography.

Obscurity can add a buffer before you can start breaking the lock and it can act as a deterrent for opportunistic attacks. Additionally it can help with signal to noise and monitoring of the lock.

This is why you have a lock on your front door and don't tell anyone you meet where exactly in your house you store your valuable jewels (preferably out of sight). You also want to monitor anyone in your garden more closely than on the road passing by.

[allknowingfrog]

Isn't it all just information? The lock code and the location of the safe are both just data. I think it's possible that all security is obscurity.