What Is a USB Dongle?

"Software dongle" is a combination of software and hardware plugged into the parallel port of a computer (new software dongle also has a USB port). Generally there are tens or hundreds of bytes of non-volatile storage space available for reading and writing, and newer dogs now also contain a microcontroller. Software developers can use the interface functions to exchange data with the software dongle to check whether the software dongle is plugged into the interface; or directly use the tools provided with the software dongle to encrypt their EXE files. The software dongle is encrypted by exchanging data with the software dongle during the software execution process. The software dongle has a built-in single-chip microcomputer circuit (also called CPU), which makes the software dongle have the ability to judge and analyze, and enhances the active anti-decryption ability.

Software dongle

"Software dongle" is a kind of plug in the computer

"Software dongle" is a combination of software and hardware encryption products (new software

Latest hardware encryption principles

At present, the world's most advanced Sentinel introduces dual algorithm secure channel technology. 128-bit AES algorithm and 160-bit ECC algorithm are used as the communication encryption method in communication. Each data transmission is 128-bit random key AES algorithm. Encryption, and this random key is encrypted with a 160-bit ECC algorithm and transmitted later. Since ECC is

The software dongle realizes encryption by exchanging data with the software dongle during the software execution process. The software dongle has a built-in single-chip microcomputer circuit (also known as CPU), which makes the software dongle have the ability to judge and analyze, and enhances active anti-decrypt ability. This encryption product is called a "smart" software dongle. The built-in microcontroller of the software dongle contains algorithm software dedicated to encryption. After the software is written into the microcontroller, it can no longer be read. In this way, it is guaranteed that the software dongle hardware cannot be copied. Simultaneously,

The programming language that software dongle can protect is constantly changing with the development of computer hardware and operating system.

In the 1980s, personal computers were mainly AT, 286 and other models. The operating system of the personal computer is mainly DOS, and the operating system of the enterprise server mainly uses Novell Netware. Engineers developing software dongle protection software need to modify the INT21 and INT10 methods of DOS, encrypt EXE files under DOS, or provide encryption for programming languages such as Turbo C, Fortran, and basic by providing specific API methods.

Since then, the operating system of the personal computer has undergone upgrades such as Windows, Windows 95, Windows 2000, Windows NT, XP, etc. The method of protecting EXE files has also changed from DOS-resident programs to methods such as VXD and SYS. The programming languages also cover: MASM, Turbo C, VC, Watcom C for NetWare, Watcom C for x86, NDP C for x86, NDP FORTRAN, Visual Foxpro, Clipper, LISP for AutoCAD and so on.

With the continuous enhancement of the hardware processing capability of the dongle and the popularity of the computer's USB port, the protection of software has gradually begun to rely on general encryption algorithms, instead of relying solely on the encryption programming skills of the encryption software. The use of dynamic link libraries, controls, etc. can already meet the protection needs of most programming tool software. The dongle manufacturers are freed from customizing APIs for different programming tools one by one.