Anti-cheat engines generally rely on three broad detection philosophies, often used together rather than in isolation.
Signature-Based Detection
This method scans running processes, loaded modules, and file hashes against a known database of flagged software. It is fast and produces very few false positives, but it only catches threats that have already been identified and catalogued. Any new or modified tool slips past until a signature is written for it.
Heuristic Detection
Rather than matching exact signatures, heuristic systems look for suspicious patterns of behavior — unusual memory permissions, unexpected driver loads, or code injected into a game process from an unrecognized source. This catches unknown threats but carries a higher false-positive risk, since legitimate software (overlays, accessibility tools) can trigger similar patterns.
Behavioral / Statistical Detection
This layer analyzes player actions over time rather than the software itself: reaction times, aim movement curves, and input consistency. It is resistant to purely technical bypasses because it targets outcomes, not mechanisms, though it requires large datasets and can take longer to flag a violation.