How to choose the right security tools
Choose a security tool by the task you need to complete: encode text for a particular format, inspect a test token, generate a password, check a file's metadata, or look up a technical value. These operations solve different problems, so the right choice depends on whether you need readability, compatibility, identification, or protection.
Before you use a tool
- Encoding changes representation; it does not encrypt or hide information.
- A decoded token is not necessarily authentic: verify signatures and claims in the application that accepts it.
- Use disposable examples instead of live credentials or production tokens, and review each tool's storage behavior.
- Keep an original file and inspect the exported copy when removing metadata.
A practical workflow
Start with a small, non-sensitive example and choose the tool for the format you are working with. Review the result and its limitations, then check security-sensitive decisions in the application or environment where they will be used.
Find the right tool for your task
Read and prepare encoded text
Use the Base64 encoder for encoded text, the URL decoder for percent-encoded values, and the HTML encoder for supported HTML entities. To inspect a complete address and its query parameters, open the URL parser.
Inspect a test token or certificate
Create a disposable example with the JWT generator and inspect its claims with the JWT decoder. For certificate details and fingerprints, use the PEM certificate decoder. Reading these values is not a substitute for verifying trust.
Work with passwords and file checksums
The password generator creates new passwords, while the password strength checker provides feedback on an example. Use the hash generator to calculate a checksum and compare it with an expected value from a trusted source.
Understand web requests and file types
Investigate a browser identification string with the User-Agent parser, find a response meaning in the HTTP status code reference, or look up a file type using the MIME type lookup.