.NET Obfuscators

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Obfuscation is the process of scrambling and encrypting software so that it cannot be easily reverse-engineered.  The goal is to stop all casual hackers and as many serious hackers as possible from trying inspect and crack the code.

As I described in my article "Obfuscation? Gesundheit!," programs written for .NET can be reverse-engineered quite easily.  Anyone with a decompiler such as the free .NET Reflector can look at .NET applications and libraries and literally see the entire original source code, including names, logic and flow.  Hackers can inspect .NET software to find and exploit its security flaws, steal unique ideas and license keys, or pirate the application.  To plug this massive security hole, .NET software should be obfuscated.

Following is a list of .NET obfuscators available today and any online reviews.  Price is for one developer license unless otherwise noted.  A plus sign indicates the price is for the standard version, and advanced versions are available.  Please comment if any obfuscators are missing, or if you would like to report any new reviews, updates, errors or broken links, as I will keep this list updated.

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Obfuscation? Gesundheit!

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If you are a .NET developer, how would you feel if your original C# or VB source code was published on the Web for the world to see? That’s exactly what happens if you release your .NET software without obfuscation.

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