Usage of the word “spoof”
In this SuperUser question titled "What are ways to prevent files with the Right-to-Left Override Unicode character in their name (a malware spoofing method) from being written or read?", what I wanted to convey was that some malware masquerade or disguise their filenames with the RLO Unicode character, and I'm looking for ways to prevent files with the RLO character from being written or read in the computer.
(I worded the question title that way to not go beyond the 150-character question title limit, and to put enough info in the question title.)
In the question text, I wrote:
What are ways to avoid or prevent files with the RLO (Right-to-Left Override) Unicode character in their name (a malware method to spoof filenames) from being written or read in a Windows PC?
In the question title, is the usage of the word, "spoofing", correct in that context?
In the question text, if I wanted to mean "...a malware method to disguise or masquerade filenames...", is the usage of the word, "spoof", correct in: "...a malware method to spoof filenames..."?
If not, how should I have used the words, "spoofing" and "spoof"? Or should I have used another word to explain what I tried to mean instead?
Solution 1:
If you accept spoof as a transitive verb (Wiktionary does, including the meaning falsify), then spoofing is its obvious gerund and present participle, and your usage is fine.
Solution 2:
That is exactly how "spoof" is used in the technical context where are using it. If you use the verb "spoof" in that way in general conversation or writing with non-technical people you will probably not be understood.