Visual Studio Protects, Monitors .NET Applications

Visual Studio 2010 includes a new version of Dotfuscator, a tool that obfuscates application code written in languages that use the .NET Framework (managed code) to prevent reverse engineering. Dotfuscator, a stand-alone application developed by PreEmptive Solutions, has been included with all versions of VS since 2003, but the version included with 2010 adds new functionality that allows developers to instrument an application to monitor its usage, transmit an alert and abort if tampering occurs, and set an expiration date after which the application will cease to function.

The version of Dotfuscator included with VS 2010 is called Community Edition 2010. PreEmptive offers an equivalent product, called Dotfuscator Micro Developer Edition. A Professional edition is also available, offering additional features such as advanced obfuscation, code compaction, watermarking, extended monitoring analytics, more flexible expiration behavior, and a fully supported data collection portal that can be hosted by PreEmptive or a third party.