Security & Privacy Glossary

A widely trusted symmetric encryption standard. Its "GCM" mode also verifies that data hasn't been tampered with. PhantomVault pairs AES-256-GCM with post-quantum encryption for layered protection.

Apple's own line of Mac processors — the M-series chips. PhantomSecure is built exclusively for Apple Silicon so it can use the hardware's security features and run AI models entirely on-device.

A modern key derivation function that turns your password into an encryption key while strongly resisting cracking attempts. PhantomVault uses it to harden vault passwords.

Examining the full contents of network traffic, not just its headers, to detect threats. PhantomProtect performs deep packet inspection on-device to catch malware and phishing in real time.

Blocking harmful or unwanted sites at the domain-name level, before a connection is ever made. PhantomProtect filters DNS locally on your Mac, with no cloud lookups.

A U.S. Department of Defense data-sanitization standard that overwrites storage multiple times so deleted data cannot be recovered. It is one of the erasure methods PhantomWipe offers.

A secure-deletion technique that overwrites data up to 35 times to defeat even advanced forensic recovery. PhantomWipe offers Gutmann as its most thorough erasure option.

An encrypted container concealed inside another, so an outer "decoy" vault can be opened without revealing the inner one. Hidden volumes are the foundation of plausible deniability.

An Apple framework that lets security software inspect or filter network traffic across the whole system. PhantomWatch and PhantomProtect are both built on it.

Performing analysis and encryption locally on your Mac instead of sending data to a remote server. It is the core of PhantomSecure's privacy-first design — your data never leaves your device.

A security property that lets you credibly deny that hidden encrypted data exists at all. PhantomVault's decoy volumes reveal harmless files under one password while real data stays invisible under another.

Encryption designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers. PhantomVault uses the Kyber-768 algorithm so your data stays protected even against quantum decryption attempts years from now.

Permanently destroying data by overwriting the actual storage — not just removing the file's reference, which is all the Trash does. PhantomWipe handles secure deletion down to the raw sectors.

Usage and diagnostic data that software quietly collects and sends back to its maker. PhantomSecure collects none — there is no telemetry pipeline in the product at all.

A command that tells an SSD which blocks are no longer in use so it can physically clear them. PhantomWipe issues TRIM to help ensure deleted data is truly gone from flash storage.

A modern engine for writing rules that identify malware by its characteristics rather than a simple signature. PhantomProtect integrates YARA-X to scan for threats entirely on-device.

A design where only you hold the keys to your data — not even the software maker can read it. PhantomSecure generates and stores encryption keys only on your device.