What is a Game Shield SDK? How does it protect apps from attacks?

What is GameShield SDK

An SDK is an App Development Kit, a set of tools used to build software for a specific platform. These tools also allow app developers to build apps that can be integrated with other programs, i.e. Mobile Measurement Partners ( MMP) such as Adjust. Not only does it allow developers to efficiently create new tools, but it also makes the process simpler since everything is pre-built. New features simply need to be compatible with current systems.
GameShield SDK, the SDK toolkit developed specifically for game protection, for example, CDN5 has pre-integrated the code required for protection in the SDK, users only need to make the SDK provided by CDN5 compatible with their own APP application, simple access, one-click to turn on protection!
In order to make it easier for you to understand about SDKs, our engineers will continue to tell you everything about SDKs in the following paragraphs!
There are two types of mobile SDKs:
Open Source SDK: Code that is accessible to the public.
Closed Source SDK: Code that is heavily protected and not easily accessible.
Common Tools Included in SDKs
Some common tools that may be included in an SDK include:
Libraries: Code for common functions and features, such as user interface controls, networking, and data storage.
Debugging tools: Finding and fixing problems in your code.
Documentation: Information on how to use the various components of the SDK.
Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Tools for writing, testing, and debugging code.
Test Framework: Tests the code to make sure it works.
Plug-ins: Integration with popular development environments such as Eclipse, Visual Studio, or Xcode.
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): Interact with various features and services of the platform or language.
Sample Code: Demonstrations of how to use the APIs and libraries provided in the SDK.
These are just a few examples of the tools that may be included in the SDK. The specific tools and resources included in a mobile SDK depend on the platform or programming language it targets.
Differences between SDKs and APIs
Although SDKs and APIs are related, they serve different purposes. an SDK is used to create an application for a specific platform or programming language, and usually contains an API, but also other resources such as documentation, sample code, and development tools.
An API is a set of protocols, routines, and tools that specify how software components should interact with each other. an API provides developers with a way to access specific features or services of a system or application. an API can be used to communicate with software libraries, web services, and the operating system.
How to use the SDK
SDK code can be added directly to an application. Throughout the development process, developers can use the debugging tools and testing frameworks provided in the kit to ensure that their code is working properly.
The GameShield SDK provided by CDN5 has worked hard to minimize the size of the SDK to ensure that it doesn't take up too much space in your application. You can expect it to add about 50-60 kb of space to Android apps and about 600 kb (via CocoaPods) and 2,600 kb (via Carthage) to iOS apps.

How GameShield SDK prevents DDOS attacks

1. DDoS attack defense:
    
   • Traffic monitoring and identification: GameShield SDK is able to monitor network traffic in real time and accurately identify normal traffic and DDoS attack traffic by analyzing the characteristics of the traffic, such as traffic size, source, and request frequency.For example, when an IP address or IP segment is found to launch a large number of abnormal requests within a short period of time, the system will recognize it as suspicious traffic.
      
   • Intelligent Triage and Isolation: Once DDoS attack traffic is detected, the GameShield SDK will utilize intelligent scheduling algorithms to quickly divert normal player traffic and attack traffic to different nodes. Attack traffic will be directed to a specialized protection node for processing, while normal traffic will be directed to the game server, ensuring that the game server can run stably and not be flooded by attack traffic. This ensures the gaming experience of legitimate users and effectively defends against DDoS attacks.
   • Active Localization and Counterattack: Some advanced GameShield SDKs also have the ability to actively locate attackers. It can track down the attacker's IP device number and other identity information based on the characteristics and source information of the attack traffic, making it easy for game developers to report and handle the case, and effectively fight against hackers.
2. Prevent plug-ins and cheating:
   • Behavior monitoring and analysis: The GameShield SDK monitors player behavior and data in the game application in real time, analyzing the player's operation patterns, changes in game data, and so on. For example, it monitors whether the player's movement speed, attack frequency, skill release frequency, etc. are out of the normal range, and if abnormal behavior is detected, the system will further analyze it in depth.
   • Abnormal Behavior Blocking: When suspected plug-ins or cheating behaviors are detected, the GameShield SDK will immediately take measures to block these behaviors. For example, restricting the player's operation, suspending the player's account use, kicking out of the game, etc., so as to maintain the fairness and normal operation of the game. It can also prevent the execution of malicious codes through parameterized query, input validation, output coding and other technical means, preventing the operation of plug-ins and cheating programs on a technical level.
3. Data security and privacy protection:
   • Encrypted Data Transmission: During data transmission, GameShield SDK uses advanced encryption technology to encrypt game data. Whether it is the player's account information, payment information, or sensitive data such as in-game chat logs, it will be encrypted into cipher text for transmission, preventing the data from being stolen or tampered with during the transmission process. Even if an attacker intercepts the transmitted data, he or she will not be able to access the real content.
   • Secondary Authentication and Access Control: To further enhance data security, the GameShield SDK supports secondary authentication mechanisms. For example, when players perform important operations (such as changing account passwords, making large payments, etc.), they need to enter additional verification codes or biometric verification (such as fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, etc.) in addition to their regular passwords, making it more difficult for attackers to access user data.At the same time, the GameShield SDK can also provide strict control over application access, restricting access to game data to authorized users and devices.
4. Game Performance Optimization:
   • Network Optimization: The GameShield SDK can optimize network connections and reduce network latency and lag by intelligently planning high-quality network transmission routes. It will automatically select the best network node to connect to based on the player's network environment and geographic location, ensuring fast and stable data transmission. For example, for shooting games and competitive games with high real-time requirements, it can effectively reduce the player's latency and improve the gaming experience.
   • Resource Management: GameShield SDK can manage and optimize the resources of game applications, reasonably allocate system resources, and avoid game stuttering or crashing due to excessive resource occupation.For example, it can monitor the usage of CPU, memory, bandwidth and other resources of the game application, and when it finds that a resource is over-occupied, it will automatically adjust and optimize it to ensure the smooth operation of the game.
5. Real-time monitoring and alerts:
    
   • Status Monitoring: The GameShield SDK provides real-time monitoring features that can continuously monitor the running status of the game, network traffic, server load and other key data indicators. Developers can view these data in real time through the background management system to understand the operation and security status of the game.
      
   • Abnormal Alarm: Once abnormal conditions are detected, such as DDoS attacks, external cheating, data leakage and other risks, GameShield SDK will immediately send out an alarm notification. Notification methods can include SMS, email, push notification, etc., so that game developers can take timely countermeasures to protect the stable operation of the game and the safety of user data.