Abstract: Methods are disclosed for improving security of computer software and preventing potential attackers from gaining control of computer software via function pointer overwrite attacks. One or more additional layers of complexity may be imposed that would have to be circumvented in order to gain execution control over portions of software. One or more function pointers can be encoded using a value that may be generated on program initialization and decoded before any dynamic function call occurs. In the event of memory corruption that affects an encoded function pointer, the value will cause the destination of the function pointer to decode to an invalid and random address and will induce an error. An application may be prevented from calling an attacker corrupted function pointer by introducing various checks around the call point at compile time that check the validity of the destination to which the function pointer points.