![]() If you mix up your code's order of operations, you can still achieve the right result – but make it far harder for a third party to understand what your code is doing. One of the challenging requirements of obfuscating code is that you still need your code to work as intended when you're done.īut there's nothing that says you have to execute your code in any logical order. String s = new String(decryptString("SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=")) Īlthough it isn't hard for an experienced programmer to spot what's going on here, having to deal with decrypting numerous strings is time-consuming and frustrating.Īnd when combined with some of the other code obfuscation techniques, data transformations are an effective first line of defense. String encryption can use simple base64 encoding, which would turn this code: String s = "Hello World" And that complexity will make it difficult for anyone reverse-engineering your code to get anything useful out of it.įor example, you might use string encryption to make plain text strings in your code unreadable. Tactics like replacing values with expressions, altering the format of the data storage you use, or even using binary versions of your code's numbers all add complexity. The next thing to do is to transform the data that your code processes to render it unrecognizable. In short – anything that might give an attacker a roadmap that could lead them to a vulnerability. This means removing redundant functions, debugging information, and as much metadata as possible. The first code hardening technique that should be applied in every case is to get rid of everything in your code that's not necessary.ĭoing this will streamline your codebase and reduce the attack surface you're defending. Here are the six most-used code obfuscation techniques employed today. Once you know the costs, it is possible to balance protection and performance in a real-world application. The trouble is, many code obfuscation techniques can add to a program's overhead and increase execution time.įor that reason, it's critical to understand which techniques are relatively penalty-free and which can cause performance issues. It's the primary way that programmers can defend their work against unauthorized access or alteration by hackers or intellectual property thieves.Īnd most importantly, code obfuscation techniques may alter the structure and methods a program uses to operate, but they never alter a program's output. What is Code Obfuscation?Īs its name suggests, code obfuscation refers to a series of programming techniques designed to disguise elements of a program's code. And I'll also give you an overview of the six most crucial code obfuscation techniques in use today to get you started on the path to writing more secure software. ![]() To help remedy that, in this article I'll explain what code obfuscation is. But it's becoming a must in modern application development. And they now expect software developers to go the extra mile to secure their code to prevent unauthorized access.Īnd yet, the hardening of computer code still isn't taught much in coding schools. In response, network managers deploy increasingly sophisticated defensive systems to harden their networks against intruders. And news of cyber-attacks seems to come daily. ![]() It's a time of unprecedented cybersecurity threats. And as the complexity grew, so too did the odds that someone would find their way into those networks who didn't belong there.Īnd more often than not, those people would have the skills needed to exploit flawed code.Īnd that brings us to today. Then, the internet came along and changed everything.Īlmost overnight, computer networks became interconnected. Most users wouldn't even bother reading the user manuals shipped in the software's box, let alone scouring the code for vulnerabilities. They could just focus on making sure their software served its intended purpose and didn't crash too often.Īnd the average person who came into contact with that software wasn't a threat. In the earliest days of computing, developers didn't have to worry about networks.
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