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Write-only memory (engineering)
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<p> In <a href="/facts/Information_technology/glMzunwe">information technology</a>, a write-only memory (WOM) is a memory location or register that can be written to but not read. In addition to its literal meaning, the term may be applied to a situation when the data written by one circuit can be read only by other circuitry. The most common occurrence of the latter situation is when a <a href="/facts/Processor_(computing)/z3wPljrI">processor</a> writes data to a write-only register of hardware the processor is controlling. The hardware can read the instruction but the processor cannot. This can lead to problems in producing <a href="/facts/Device_driver/rDYnHU1G">device drivers</a> for the hardware. </p><p>Write-only memories also find applications in security and <a href="/facts/Cryptography/e94PEVau">cryptography</a> as a means of preventing data being intercepted as it is being decrypted. </p>