A basic outline about Keygens

A keygen is a small program that generates a CD key or registration or serial number for a software program so that a person can install it on his computer. Keygens are widely used in software piracy when a person illegally copies software and requires a serial key or registration number to install it on to the computer. Software cracking groups offer Keygens for free downloads on various websites.

The person who builds a keygen studies the raw assembly code of a certain software program using a dissembler. He may also study the installer for this purpose. Once he gains access to the program’s code, he will be able to verify whether the key that has been entered is valid or not. He uses this knowledge to generate the valid keys by reverse engineering of the algorithm. The valid keys are then incorporated into the keygen. With a lot of software programs with weak serial protection schemes, the original key-checking code can be easily copied and just incorporated into the keygen. As such, a complex reverse code is not necessary.

You may wonder how the keygen generates the valid keys for a particular program. The first way to do this is by applying brute force. This means that instead of producing the exact reverse key, a search tactic is used which tests all the possible combinations until the exact key is found. The second way is by changing the algorithm of a particular program. This means that the keygen has a code incorporated into it that has the power to change the algorithm code of the program. In the cyber world, this method is usually not applied for a keygen because a crack has to be used in combination with a keygen. This is impure since a true keygen is one that can generate a proper valid key without the additional requirement of a crack. For the uninitiated, a crack is when the original keys are modified to generate keys which are accepted.

The majority of computer users have at some time or the other downloaded and installed Keygens or cracked software. There are a huge number of websites on the internet that offer free downloads. So the question is, should you be using Keygens? Here are a few things you should keep in mind.

- Whatever anyone says, you can’t ignore the basic fact that Keygens are illegal. Downloading and installing it on your computer is definitely not the right thing to do. It is like stealing somebody else’s belongings without paying for it.

- A lot of Keygens contain malicious viruses and software. Besides the threat of worms, Trojans and other harmful items, the Keygens themselves are the ones that may cause the most serious problem. Generating serial codes that unlocks software may cause such harm to your computer which you have no idea about.

-When you regularly download Keygens, sooner or later your computer will get infected.

Keygens are something you should not fidget with unless you have full knowledge about them.