The confrontation between cheaters and CS:GO developers is often compared to the confrontation between armor and a projectile: unscrupulous players discover new loopholes, and the creators of anti-cheat close them. At the same time, the details of how such software works are usually kept secret so as not to make the task easier for cheaters.
How does anti-cheat work?
In general, the principle of operation of Valve Anti Cheat (VAC) is similar to well-known antivirus programs. When a player connects to a server running anti-cheat, the program checks his system for signs of known cheating programs. In addition, it can also recognize cheats about which there is no information yet, for example, vulnerabilities that have appeared recently: for this, the player’s behavior and what is happening in the game are analyzed. If the game client behaves suspiciously, an additional check is launched.
As a rule, even if the player actually used prohibited software, the decision to ban is not made immediately, but after some time. On the one hand, this is good, as it reduces the likelihood of false positives and allows for additional verification (for example, using “patrolls” - a system for assessing suspicious episodes by other players). On the other hand, because of this, a situation may arise where a dishonest player is not blocked immediately and spoils the game for others for some time. Because of this, VAC often causes criticism from players. As a result, third-party anti-cheats can be used simultaneously with it, which respond faster. Community servers use SourceMod Anti-Cheat (SMAC), What can you get a VAC ban for?
Given that the VAC ban is permanent, players should think about the consequences of their actions in advance. In addition to the obvious cases, for example, if you installed software that helps you aim or allows you to see the location of the enemy, applications that do not give the player an unfair advantage can also become a source of the problem. For example, game modifications, such as tools for changing skins, can also trigger an anti-cheat. The easiest way to protect yourself from this – download add-ons for the game from trusted sources, such as the Steam Workshop. And to see how different skins will look in your hands, you can use special community servers where such actions are allowed.
The problem with cheaters in Counter Strike: Global Offensive has several times become a reason for scandals, even at high-level competitions. In any case, regardless of whether you are an amateur or a professional, it is useful to know how anti-cheat works and how to act so as not to lose the opportunity to play from your account.
