Assemblies built with the .NET architecture allow recovering data from them using disassembler. Unfortunately, this is both an advantage and a weakness. On the one hand, developers can obtain necessary information, but on the other, ill-intentioned people can obtain parts of the source code. Obfuscation is an attempt to prevent reverse engineering in .NET-based software products. Babel Obfuscator is one of the tools available to obfuscate code, making it less clear and more difficult to understand.
First, it must be clear that this program is intended for specialized users, mostly software developers. A regular user will find this program esoteric while a programmer would probably think it is quite easy to use. Most of this feeling of simplicity is the result of the interface design. In this regard, the interface is carefully designed to match the purpose. It is rather Spartan, with a toolbar with only a few buttons and a side navigation panel from where most functions are accessible. In addition, if you prefer another color combination, there are some skins to choose from.
In order to use the basic function of obfuscating, you should use the Input group from the side panel and browse for the assembly to obfuscate. Once you have added the desired assemblies, you can expand the grid to show the tabs labeled Inputs, Rules and Map. The Inputs section allows you to choose the assemblies you want to merge or embed into the primary assembly. The Rules section lets you include the XML rules that program should use for the obfuscating process. Finally, the Maps section is there for you to specify the XML input mapping files. The output link from the navigation panel lets you configure the output file and folder as well as additional configuration. I couldn't even begin to explain all the procedures and options, but there is an excellent 120-page user guide that accompanies the software and can also be downloaded from the developer’s site. Let me just tell you that the graphic user interface is not the only way to interact with this program as most options can also be used from the command line.
In general terms, Babel Obfuscator seems to be a useful and effective application. Of course, it would take a lot of time to evaluate all of its features so this review is only an introduction to its use. My recommendation is that you should take advantage of the availability of a demo version to evaluate the program. Just bear in mind when you do so that obfuscation is not infallible: it only makes it more difficult for intruders to steal your code. After all, if somebody with the required expertise really wants your code, they will eventually get it one way or another.
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