Software Forensics Algorithms and Processes

Intellectual property infringement and theft are problems of growing concern for two specific entities, universities and corporations. With the pervasiveness of the Internet, the effectiveness of search engines, and the capabilities of AI, students in programming courses can now easily find existing code that solves large sections of their homework and exam problems, if not all of it. While using code available on the Internet can be legal, it still raises a question of plagiarism if the student does not disclose the source. Also, it may constitute copyright infringement if the owner of the code does not allow such copying even though it may be publicly available.

In corporations, source code theft is also a problem, particularly because of the mobility of employees and the ease with which code can be loaded onto a virtually undetectable flash drive or transferred via encrypted email over the Internet. Intellectual property theft of any kind may be purposeful when performed to gain an unfair advantage over a competitor, or it may be unintended as in the case of a programmer who takes code from one project and uses it in another project without first obtaining the appropriate permissions.

A suite of tools and well-defined processes for comparing software code for indications of copying has been used in courts worldwide for over 20 years, surviving all legal and technical challenges, but many expert witnesses still use homegrown tools and techniques in software copyright and trade secret cases.

The paper will provide concrete algorithms for accurately and reliably analyzing and comparing software code and specific recommended practices for detecting plagiarism and IP violations.

• Consultants and experts.
• Companies that create software forensics tools.
• Companies that create tools to measure, analyze, and compare software code.
• Software developers

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