Software self-defense systems and methods

A method performed by a computer system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

• determining that a computer program has been tampered with;
• setting, based on the determination, a plurality of first variables distributed in a first plurality of different locations of the computer program and stored in memory associated with the processor executing the computer program to indicate that the computer program has been tampered with;
• receiving a request from the computer program to perform a first operation;
• in response to receiving the request, analyzing at least a quasi-random subset of the plurality of first variables to determine that the computer program has been tampered with;
• in response to testing the at least quasi-random subset of the plurality of first variables, setting a plurality of second variables distributed in a second plurality of different locations of the computer program to a state indicating that the computer program has been tampered with;
• and
• implementing, based on the analysis, at least one protective response.