Developers and Software Security - Code

Obfuscation

Few methods can be employed to prevent piracy in a relatively secure way. An example is server-side execution of software, another is encryption where the entire decryption/execution process takes place in specific hardware.Those options both offer good software protection against reverse engineering because the attacker suffers a severe problem reaching the code. However, there are some serious downsides to these techniques.

Server-side execution performs worse than if run locally and hardware execution requires the end-user to have specific hardware.There are more protection options available though, one of which is code obfuscation. Still, code obfuscation is rather a way of making reverse engineering economically infeasible in terms of time and resources needed. Of course, the employed techniques must be able to stave off attacks with deobfuscator tools.

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Code obfuscation is difficult to define: it is not encryption nor is it scrambling of code. In fact, the technique means to generate code which is still perfectly executable and understandable by computers, but is very difficult for humans to understand. From a computer point of view, the technique resembles a translation, or just making up code in a very different way, without changing the actual functioning of the program.

Given enough time and perseverance, an experienced attacker will always find vulnerabilities that enable reverse engineering a program. Still, code obfuscation is employed to make the attack too costly in time and resources, so that even the experienced cracker may give up or go away.Different types of obfuscation can be applied, depending on the format in which the software is distributed. When the source code of a program is distributed, source code obfuscation is often applied.

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Bytecode obfuscation is applied on Java bytecode and MS.NET, binary code obfuscation can be applied to all programs compiled to native code.Java and .NET languages take a different approach to compilation. While this achieves platform independence, it also makes programs easy to decompile and reverse engineer. Thus, authors often grab to obfuscation techniques for better software protection. Still, authors must obfuscate without changing a program's logic. Indeed, the purpose is to protect and not to deform.

Binary code obfuscation is sometimes also referred to as code morphing. It obfuscates the machine language or object code rather than the source code. Binary code obfuscation techniques transform code at binary level, hence in the compiled executable.Most software is distributed as binary code. Reverse engineering such executables - and dynamic link libraries - also creates opportunities to discover and exploit vulnerabilities in an application.

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Reverse engineering binaries is typically executed under disassembler and/or debugger, which translates binary code to assembly code.This process is not even necessarilly followed by decompilation, to recover - an approximation of - the source code: assembler is also humanly readable code and all the information on what a program does is available to the potential attacker. Enough time and effort can reveal any secret, hidden in assembler code.

However, code obfuscation can also serve a different master and it is particularly interesting that it also works in favor of the bad guys who employ the technique to protect their virii, trojans and the likes, from discovery. Now, imagine code obfuscation is even frequently used to protect cracked applications against re-cracking by their 'friends'.Either way, developers must protect their work, an appropriate way of code obfuscation is very often indispensable.

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Software Protection Lover

Protection of programs against piracy becomes a topic that can no longer be left out. Let's figure out why.First of all, a rival's program - if running under virtual execution-based systems such as Sun's Java or Microsoft's.NET platform - is very effortless to decompile whilst possibly generating an advantage over the competitor.

However, such software is as well very effortless to pirate. What is more: software cracking is not a local event, on the contrary, it occurs on an intercontinental scale. Following are a couple harsh figures concerning piracy.Pirated copies form about 40 percent of all software programs.

Because of the 'safe-at-home' idea of the offense and the impossibility of preventing data copying, software piracy is an illegal process that laws as well as technical handling, fail to prevent.

Recent reports have computed the losses from the computer industry to all sorts of plagiarism at $1.4 till $1.8 billion monthly. Obviously, such figures are cataclysmal for the industry. Can something be done at all?

Naturally, there exist means that can be practiced by the program's creator to discourage software piracy.Learning everything concerning protection techniques is a tremendous job for coders, but protection can not be left out though.

Since it exists software as well as hardware related applications that do an excellent job, many coders rely on these for program protection. To start with, developers must make software registration routines as nasty to plagiarise as possible.

The protection package proposing a registration function to the protected program is named a 'total protection solution'. The disadvantage of total protection packages is that if the license algorithm - that this parcel adds - is cracked, then all software protected by this total package is in risk.

Battling piracy is frequently sought by usage of a combined protection method. Some people say though that coders should better determine and implement their own certification outline, and have it secured by a commercial protector for the strongest protection.

Aid for developers who have no experience with protective programming, is assured in protectors whose developers have certainly learned the securest guarding strategies. But first, there are a few simple matters to help to fight piracy:

* Online Activation Services: means applications accessing a centralised permission server by internet, the online program activation is meant to prevent software piracy. The disadvantage here is the fear for incorrect or not at all operating online servers, clients without 24/24 internet accessibility as well as software consuming internet time.

* Programming of a demo program. The coder has not included a few cardinal features in a demo edition, this returns piracy useless. Customers are sent a separate download link for the full software, frequently it is required to uninstall the demo or trial edition before installing the full edition.

The disadvantage here is that crackers can acquire the full edition which makes all useless, by the way, this theft is often realised by stealing someone's credit card number for the 'purchase'.
In addition to what developers themselves should do to beat piracy, there is also a choice in third party applications to aid combat cracking.

* Protectors are software based programs that are appended to or wrapped around a program with the intent to shield against cracking, in the case of games oftentimes as well adding ecommerce features. It exists very inadequate as well as very capable protectors: select wisely! Protectors are common in the shareware as well as in the gaming business.

* The software based hardware lock is a protector that locks the application to a unique computer only. Observe that hardware locking makes sure that a particular certification can not be used on multiple computers but is linked only to the particular computer it was bought for.

Hardware locking is accomplished by means of a hardware defined number like on a sound card, processor, hard disk, graphics card etc. Priced reasonably, hardware lock protectors sometimes add strong defensive capabilities against cracking but the negative point is they require a new certification for the coder who switches computers.

* The most general hardware based locks are USB Drive Locks and Dongle locks. For pricey software or software that only sells a couple copies per annum, it is an advisable solution. The secured software expects the presence of an outside set up of hardware to activate the application, e.g. via the connection to a USB port or a parallel port.

The two schemes have had some commercial success initially because of higher shelter facilities but have suffered since because of many substantial disadvantages: losing accessibility of a port, cost and loss of the hardware have lead to many problems.

This summarises the most used protection techniques and applications that coders can implement to aid in income protection. The choice of outside made products is long but maybe this summary could bring some clarity in the subject!

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