There is no ideal way to fully protect software from unauthorized use and distribution. No existing system can provide absolute security or completely prevent a determined hacker from bypassing its defenses. However, a well-designed and efficient protection system can make software cracking extremely difficult, to the point where the time, effort, and resources required become impractical and unjustifiable.

While software protection may serve different purposes, the foundation of any effective protection system is safeguarding the application against analysis. Resistance to reverse engineering is what ultimately determines the overall strength and effectiveness of the protection.