[Algorithms] Re: Network Security (was Asus to release 'cheating' drivers! on the DXDev list)

[Jim O. <j.o...@in...>]

This response is kinda of topic for the DXDev, so I am taking it over to the
algorithms list...

I have done some thinking about network security and all, since the last
thread on this subject over on the algorithms list. I finally came down to
the following solution:

Have the server maintain statistics maintain some key statistics from all
players (nr. of bullets fired, nr. of enemies killed, speed, distance
travelled, how the health of each player changes over time) and display
these statistics at the end of the game. Since all the statistics are
calculated on the server, it will be quite hard for people to cheat them
(assuming we're not dealing with mastermind hackers). Be sure only to
include statistics which are _primarily_ controlled by the server (i.e.
monitoring a player's health makes sense only when the server decides when
the player is dead or alive, since only then will the client be forced to
send accurate information to the server in order to participate in the
simulation).

Note that the system does not prevent players from cheating (i.e. it won't
detect Asus' new 3D SeeThrough technology and other client-side cheats). It
does however, enforce a form of social control by presenting all the players
with figures about the performance of themselves and other players. If one
of your competitors in the game manages to work through some masacre with a
150% health all the way and kill ten times as many enemies as all the other
players together, he is either fit to replace Bruce Willis in Die Hard IV or
he is definitely cheating...

Again, you can never be a 100% certain that the guy in question is actually
cheating (it might even be Bruce Willis...), but you do offer all your
players (and the people maintaining the servers) some means to verify if
they are dealing with a potential cheater or not.

Any comments?

Jim Offerman

Innovade
- designing the designer

----- Original Message -----
From: "Grills, Jeff" <jg...@OR...>
To: <DIR...@DI...>
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 9:33 PM
Subject: Re: Asus to release 'cheating' drivers!


> In online games, you simply can never trust the client.  It's fairly easy
> for people to write proxy-servers that capture all the information coming
> across the network connection and display it conveniently on a second
> monitor (perhaps with a top-down view).  Or they'll hack the windows
socket
> layer on their machine.  Or they'll write programs that look through the
> memory space of the actively running game.  Or a million other ways to
> extract that data from your game that you can't currently predict.
>
> If the client shouldn't be able to see it, the server shouldn't tell the
> client about it.  You really have no other secure options.
>
> jefftep
> Jeff Grills
> Director of Technology
> Origin Systems, Inc.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gl [mailto:gl...@NT...]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 2:14 PM
> To: DIR...@DI...
> Subject: Re: Asus to release 'cheating' drivers!
>
>
> I remember some discussion about that (here?) - something to the effect of
> capturing a screen shot at random intervals, then analyzing the picture to
> see if it is intact.  There was also talk of uploading this image (or
parts
> of it) to a server, so that it could verify everything was ok.  Very messy
> though.
>
> If this really becomes a problem we'll have to look a little closer into
the
> 'zero overdraw' algorithms...
> --
> gl
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard Collins" <Ma...@ST...>
> To: <DIR...@DI...>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 8:01 PM
> Subject: Re: Asus to release 'cheating' drivers!
>
>
> > Interesting, I wonder if there is a way we can detect these drivers. I'm
> > surprised that no one has done this yet to the DX libs like Intel have
> > done for GPT ( IPeek ).
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: gl [mailto:gl...@NT...]
> > Sent: 19 July 2000 19:36
> > To: DIR...@DI...
> > Subject: Asus to release 'cheating' drivers!
> >
> >
> > I just read this on RivaStation
> > (http://www.rivastation.com/index_e.htm),
> > and it is an absolute outrage:
> >
> >
> > 7/19/00 ASUS for cheaters?
> > ASUS announced a new tool called 3D SeeThrough (TM). This tools allows
> > you
> > to make walls transparent or play in a wireframe more. A present for
> > cheaters !?! Heres the PR Taiwan, Taipei July 18, 2000: ASUSTeK
> > Computer,
> > Inc. announces its new secrete weapon for AGP-V7700 and AGP-V7100 series
> > graphics cards - the 3D SeeThrough TM technologies. "ASUS always
> > provides
> > the best value for our customers." said Jonathan Tsang, vice president
> > of
> > marketing and sales division of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. "The ASUS 3D
> > SeeThrough TM technologies are developed for users to be a constant
> > winner
> > in the adventure or action 3D games. There are three special weapons for
> > ASUS VGA cards' users - Transparent View, Wireframe View, and Extra
> > Light.
> > If you do not have an ASUS VGA card - be careful! Never compete in the
> > 3D
> > games with anyone who has an ASUS VGA card. Because the only result is
> > to
> > loose"
> >
> >
> > As a long time FPS player, the client-side bots did enough to damage
> > trust
> > amongst players - these drivers would effectively kill most types of
> > real-time on-line gaming!  As developers, I suggest you all voice your
> > opinions in the strongest possible way to Asus and try to prevent them
> > from
> > releasing these drivers (http://www.asus.com.tw/company/support.html)!
> > I
> > mean, really, how can they be this stupid?  If the PC is going to become
> > compromised this way, then roll on X-Box...
> > --
> > gl
> >
>
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