Re: How do I stop my software from getting cracked?

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"Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )" <machin TA laceupsolutions.com> wrote in
message news:ex7deZvnHHA.2596@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,


"Ashot Geodakov" <a_geodakov@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23sjeyQanHHA.4552@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If it was made by a human, it can be broken by a human.

You can not protect your software 100%, but you can make the process of
cracking it quite difficult for an inexperienced cracker.

My recommendation would be to place your critical functionality into a
separate DLL. Write that DLL in a good ole C. Make calls into that DLL
from your C# UI.

Once your DLL is created, you can do all sorts of tricks.

You can write self-modifying code to confuse the cracker. You may encrypt
pieces of the binary and decrypt them "on the fly" and execute them after
they are decrypted. Write some 'decoy' code that looks like a real one
but does nothing in particular. Place a time bomb into your code that
does something harsh once it detects that your product is not being used
accordingly. Write in your license agreement that "you are not
responsible for any damages if the copy is unlicensed". Use your fantasy.


What is the cost of this?

And how this compare to just buying and using a good obfuscator?


I never said this would be cheap or easy, and most of all, hacker-proof.

And it all depends on the software that you try to protect. I wouldn't use a
commercial obfuscator for missile defence system software...


.

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