A method for preventing unauthorized use of software may be achieved by executing computer-readable code with instructions for recording an indication of at least one selected file of a software application in a memory location accessible to a security component of the software application, in which software application the security component is configured to cause a hash signature of the at least one selected file to be generated in response to a signal arising from use of the software application, hashing the at least one selected file to generate a first file signature, transmitting the first file signature to a secure network-accessible computer memory for storage and subsequent comparison to at least one subsequent file signature generated via operation of the security component on a client device, comparing the first file signature to a second file signature generated by the security component in response to a signal arising from use of the software application on the client device, and disabling the software application on the client device, in response to determining that the first file signature does not match the second file signature.