Various software copy protection solutions exist. At this point we compare the industry’s most popular protection method, namely program-wrappers, with Syncrosoft’s protection technology that is based on MCFACT and Syncrosoft’s eLicenser device.

Program-Wrappers
Program-wrappers put program code into a "security envelope" by encrypting it at the time of application development. Decryption of the program code takes place "on the fly" in the computer’s memory each time the program is executed. The decryption process requires a decryption key which is generated using the crypto-service of a security hardware, e.g. a dongle. Program-wrappers also use anti-debugging features, obfuscation and tamper-detection to increase security.

Despite the fact that program-wrappers use powerful encryption algorithms, the security provided is weak. Anti-debugging features and tamper-detection features are easily disabled. Adversaries use sophisticated debugger and reverse-engineering tools to analyze the program-wrapper’s program code. They are able to grab the decryption key with their tools and place it in the application as constant key. As a result, the decryption of the program code runs without the security hardware, the application is cracked.

Since a program-wrapper tool always uses the same technology to protect applications, it happens that adversaries develop "unwrapper" tools that remove the protection in a few seconds from any protected application.  

MCFACT and the Syncrosoft eLicenser
Syncrosoft uses MCFACT to protect arbitrary program code of an application. The protected program code can process encrypted data without the data ever being decrypted. Neither the transformed program code, nor the transformed data are decrypted before, during or after execution or processing. Another feature of the protected program code is robustness against reverse-engineering and tampering. The protected program code is linked to the eLicenser using an MCFACT-based hardware link.

The MCFACT-protected program code is never decrypted, even at runtime the code remains encrypted. There is no decryption key at all – adversaries cannot find any to grab with their tools. The security of the MCFACT hardware link is based on the hard mathematical problem of large finite automata decomposition and the complexity of a crypto-service that runs inside the Syncrosoft eLicenser.

Conclusion
The Syncrosoft software copy protection technology by far exceeds the security of program-wrappers, because the MCFACT-protected program code is never decrypted before, during or after execution. The security of the MCFACT hardware link is based on a hard mathematical problem.