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6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 More of a FAQ than educationalJun 07, 2004
It's great that there's a book like this out to begin with, but I was disappointed to see the focus only on Windows applications and mostly on how to use existing tools to harden your software. It doesn't really cover as much as I would have liked to have seen on how to actually implement crack-resistant software. Much of the book's contents are FAQ-like and refer only to currently available tools (a very current practical approach versus a broader theoretical academic approach). If the exact problem you're trying to solve is explicitly addressed in this book, you're golden - if not, you're completely out of luck with regards to the book's information.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Good overview of cracking preventionSep 12, 2004
By William Jackson
Before I read this book I knew very little about cracking software. After reading this book I still know very little. I agree with the author when he says that to protect yourself, you need a good understanding of what you're up against. It also helps when you apply a protection method if you can check it against something. The book falls way short of teaching you ways to crack software.
However, I gave this book a good rating because I think it does a good job of giving the reader an overview of methods he can use against crackers. It covers disassembly detection, registration protection, use of dongles, CD copy protection, and compressing and encoding executables. It also provides a CD with several freeware/shareware programs you can use to protect your software. Keep in mind that the book deals exclusively with the Windows operating system.
5 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Human Ingenuity (Spy vs. Spy)Apr 02, 2004
By W Boudville
Much of current software defenses against crackers consists of preventing or detecting breakins to your computer from across a network. The cracker is inherently at a disadvantage. For one, you (the sysadmin) have physical access to your machine. You can reboot it at will; compare signatures of installed programs against known signatures that are stored readonly; and you can install network analysers and other computers to check your main machine. But there is an entirely different cracker activity where she now has built in edges. This consists of where you write code that others can install on their computers. Your code can end up on a cracker's machine. She has (you have to assume) a good deassembler and decompiler, and is fluent in the assembly language of your code. You don't have it easy. Cerven explains the many measures you might take to protect the running of your code. Alas, for most of these, if not all, over time, a sufficiently talented cracker can find a countermeasure. The book is a tribute to human ingenuity. As a purely intellectual puzzle, you may find his explanations intriguing. He describes a small cottage industry of companies that offer licensing programs that try to control access to your code. The best known may be installshield. This is very common on Microsoft platforms. Also mentioned is flexlm, which unix sysadmins should find familiar. The bottom line is given in the last chapter. A list of suggested best practices. None of which are guaranteed to offer absolute protection. But the cumulative applications of these practices should act as a good deterrent. The only thing that seems to be missing is a discussion of code that comes on DVDs. He describes CDs. Surely by now some large code packages must come on DVDs. (Especially the games.)
4 of 6 found the following review helpful:
A little dated, 2nd ed. requested!Apr 05, 2004
By S. Contrast
I enjoyed reading Crackproof your software, and actually read through it in one sitting. I found that too many of the actual code samples were limited to windows 9x only. Given the Oct 2002 publishing date (more than a year after the release of XP) I would have expected (and appreciated) more XP centric code samples. It also would have perhaps been better if the tricks and tips were seperately described for each OS. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to keep their software off the 0-day warez boards.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A very good start in the subjectJul 03, 2003
Definetely, a must have if you want to write shareware. It's a pretty complete survey of methods and programs to protect your work.
I'd also want to point out the following:
1) I miss some crackmes in the companion CD.
2) In a next edition, that I hope gets released soon, It should include information specifically devoted to Windows XP and stuff. The section on softice might be too large in the current edition.
Let me insist, a must have.
Hope this help.
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