Recognising and rejecting overclaiming
Module 3 calls this the most important twenty minutes in the curriculum. None of these words is forbidden and none proves bad faith. Each is a place where a specific guarantee could have been stated, and a general impression was stated instead.
The table the decoder is generated from
| Vendor says | Actually means | Ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| “Blockchain-secured” | Usually: a hash chain. Sometimes: nothing. | Anchored to what, verifiable by whom? |
| “Military-grade encryption” | Marketing. Not a technical category. | Which algorithm, which key length, keys held where? |
| “Tamper-proof” | Nothing is tamper-proof. | Do you mean tamper-*evident*? Who detects it? |
| “Immutable” | Usually: append-only, with administrative override. | Can anyone delete? Under what process? |
| “Fully auditable” | Often: has logs. | Can a third party who distrusts you verify independently? |