Title: Problem with security through obfuscation
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Problem with security through obfuscation

 *  [Bill Weye](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billhector/)
 * (@billhector)
 * [14 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-security-through-obfuscation/)
 * If there’s anything to this idea of security through obfuscation, and I think
   there is with apps like WP that have a large install base, then I don’t think
   publicizing the user names is a good idea.
 * Here’s something that has bothered me a long time: user names in URLs. For example:
 * [http://www.mydomain.com/author/admin/](http://www.mydomain.com/author/admin/)
 * Here’s the thing: I always change my user name in an effort to obfuscate, only
   to get thwarted by the URL to the author page.
 * Can we get behind having the URL include the display name, not the user name?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-security-through-obfuscation/#post-2800327)
 * Not at this time.
 * WordPress doesn’t support the idea that security through obscurity is any good.
   With the current version of WP, you’re able to pick your username.
 * (BTW, go to yourdomain.com/?author=1 and you’ll see why hiding that won’t matter.)
 *  [TCBarrett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tcbarrett/)
 * (@tcbarrett)
 * [14 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-security-through-obfuscation/#post-2800386)
 * “There’s a plugin for that” and all that…
    If you’d like a little user slug tweaking:
   [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-author-slug/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-author-slug/)
 *  Thread Starter [Bill Weye](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billhector/)
 * (@billhector)
 * [14 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-security-through-obfuscation/#post-2800387)
 * Thanks for that!

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Problem with security through obfuscation’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [url](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/url/)

 * In: [Requests and Feedback](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/requests-and-feedback/)
 * 3 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Bill Weye](https://wordpress.org/support/users/billhector/)
 * Last activity: [14 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-security-through-obfuscation/#post-2800387)
 * Status: not resolved

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