Protecting Software From Piracy

It always surprises me to find that software developers are so reluctant to protect their software. Surfing the net it seems that everyone is under the impression that software copy protection will never be 100% secure, and in fact is not worth the investment.

This, in fact, is absolutely not the case.

CodeMeter is your reliable security solution. Using AxProtector and a CmStick, your software is rendered effectively uncrackable . CodeMeter provides sure-proof software protection in a hardware solution. Tested but not yet bested by top hackers offered impressive monetary rewards for getting through the security fence, Codemeter’s iron forged security is solid.

CodeMeter was designed from the beginning to have no universal crack, because there’s no single key to decrypt the code. Key storage and debugger detection provide the other two interconnected solutions in the strong and sturdy three-strand braided cable which is the backbone of the security system.

Encryption: Encryption is used all the time. Every internet-based credit card purchase works on AES 128-bit algorithms. We use AxProtector to encrypt your executable (.exe) using the same standard. Since it’s encrypted, the executable file is meaningless to your CPU until it’s decrypted. AES 128-bit is recognized as sufficiently “strong” that brute-force attack is simply not possible.

Key Storage: The CmStick stores the key needed to decrypt your software so it will run. The CodeMeter runtime turns the encrypted file back into object code via decryption. The key is stored inside the CmStick in an area that can’t be accessed–even trying will cause the stick to permanently lock itself. The key generation is dynamic with up to 4,000,000,000 different keys possible, eliminating the possibility of a “master crack.”

Debugger Detection: One step ahead is where we like to be. Once the application has been decrypted and loaded into memory, why couldn’t a cracker simply take a “picture” of the contents of the computer’s memory, using that to create a cracked version of the application?

Here’s why:

CodeMeter never completely decrypts the entire application at any one time. Some critical pieces are left encrypted until called, then decrypted individually until they are no longer needed. So if you take a snapshot of memory you only get a partial decryption of the application, which is not a crack.

Furthermore, you can turn on optional debugger detection. When you choose this, the license is locked if a debugger is detected on the computer. This works well to prevent reverse engineering or theft of algorithms. It can be unlocked, but it would require administrator approval. Check. Mate.

Simpler methods are extremely easy to crack and should never be used for high-value software. What do other systems do? Some take a simpler route, using code obfuscation or just checking for the existence of a dongle. Others may use a combination of encryption and hardware based key storage. But we’re the gold standard.

The tiny size dongle, ideal for notebooks, embedded devices, medical devices or controls for machinery and equipment, has all the same capabilities and technology as its larger sibling, the USB CmSticks. Projecting only 4mm from a USB port, all the electronics, including the smart card chip, are integrated into the USB plug. Only a LED projects outside in the plastic.

Security you can trust. CodeMeter.

This is a guest post by Wibu-Systems USA. Wibu-Systems manufactures software security and software license management solutions. Feedback can be sent to info@wibu.us .