• The process of modifying sensitive data in such a way that it is of no or little value to unauthorized intruders, while still being usable by software or authorized personnel. Data masking is used to protect data that is classified as personally identifiable information, sensitive personal data, or commercially sensitive data. However, the data must remain usable for the purposes of undertaking valid test cycles, and it must also look real and appear consistent. It is more common to have masking applied to data that is represented outside of a production system. ← Wikipedia

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