Importance

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Abstract

A system and method for actively validating a network device is provided. Nodes in a network game community are prompted to engage in interrogation and response to facilitate the identification of nodes operating with hacked, modified and non-typical game configurations. In one embodiment, a query is presented to a user's machine which triggers a response, and where the response indicates whether certain data at the user is valid and wherein invalid data is suggestive of illegal community behavior. Functions are triggered and data is queried to determine whether the state of game environment is operating according to known metrics or constraints. Various queries to test user integrity include memory peeks, confirmation of location of functions in memory, memory hashing, profiling of threads operating on the user machine, and combinations thereof. Queries may be actively initiated by a server, peer, peer group or combinations thereof and may be scheduled on a routine basis, triggered in response to passive listening, and via collaborating users who suspect cheat activity.

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First Claim