The confrontation between cheaters and CS:GO developers is often compared to the confrontation between armor and shell: unscrupulous players discover new loopholes, and anti-cheat creators close them. At the same time, the details of such software are usually kept secret, so as not to make it easier for cheaters.
How is anti-chit organized?
In general, the principle of operation of Valve Anti Cheat (VAC) is similar to the well-known antivirus programs. When a player connects to a server with an anti-cheat program, the program checks his system for signs of known cheat programs. In addition, it can also recognize cheats about which there is no information yet, such as vulnerabilities that have appeared recently: for this purpose it analyzes the player's behavior and what happens in the game. If a game client behaves suspiciously, an additional check is launched.
As a rule, even if the player actually used banned software, the decision to ban is not made immediately, but after some time. On the one hand, this is a good thing, as it reduces the likelihood of false positives and allows for additional verification (e.g. with «patrols» - a system for other players to rate suspicious episodes). On the other hand, because of this, a situation can arise where a dishonest player is not blocked immediately and spoils the game for others for some time.
Because of this VAC is often criticized by players. As a result, third-party anti-readers that react faster can be used at the same time. Community servers use SourceMod Anti-Cheat (SMAC),
What can I get VAC bannedfor ?
Given that VAC ban is permanent, players should think about the consequences of their actions beforehand. In addition to the obvious cases, for example, if you have installed software that helps you aim or allows you to see the enemy's location, applications that do not give the player an unfair advantage can also cause the problem.
For example, game modifications, such as skin changing tools, can also trigger an anti-chit. The easiest way to protect yourself from this – is to download add-ons for the game from trusted sources such as Steam Workshop. And to see how different skins will look like 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 cause 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 the anti-chit works and how to act in order not to lose the ability to play from your account.
