What is the process of removing unwanted characters from user input called?

The process of removing unwanted characters from user input is known as input sanitization. This method involves cleaning up the input data by removing or modifying characters that could potentially cause security issues, errors, or malfunctions in a system. It helps to ensure that the data conforms to expected formats and is safe for processing within an application.

Input sanitization is especially crucial in preventing common security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other types of attacks where harmful characters could lead to unintended behavior. By sanitizing input, developers can significantly reduce risks and improve the overall security posture of their applications.

While terms like data cleansing, input validation, and data validation are related concepts, they refer to different aspects of data handling. Data cleansing typically involves correcting or removing inaccurate records from a dataset. Input validation is the process of checking whether the input meets certain criteria or formats before further processing, while data validation relates to verifying the accuracy and completeness of data as it is received or processed. Hence, input sanitization specifically addresses the removal of unwanted characters to ensure the safety and integrity of user input.