As I wrote about a while back, we were subjected to a script kiddie attack. Fortunately they were not successful in breaking in to our systems, but, due to some bugs in how we handled some of the requests, they did end up causing a denial-of-service attack on our database server. Normally, this would just mean the website was down for a while, but, due to several other bugs we ended up showing a screen that should only be shown to developers that included our database password and other information needed to connect to our database. Oh #@$%^ is really the only thing to say then (particularly because when we first realized this, we had no idea how long this problem existed). After having visions of user email addresses suddenly ending up in the hands of spammers, we realized we were much better off than we thought. Our database is set to be accessible only from our web server. So, unless someone could break into our web server, they still couldnt access our database (and if they can break into our web server, we have bigger problems).

Thankfully for us, even though several layers of protection failed we had bugs in our search mechanism, we had bugs in our debugging code and some secret information was revealed  our database was still protected.

Another ...

Why is performance important and why is it so hard

I think we all understand inherently why performance is important. We always want the program were using to run faster or get annoyed when the web page we are loading takes too long to come up.

Performance is hard because it takes time just like any other feature (one of my former managers would say Performance is a feature). I love this quote from Blaise Pascal because I think it applies to lots of things, but its particularly relevant to performance I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time. Developers could say I would have written a faster application, but I did not have the time. Speedy code is also hard because anyone whos not working on making a faster application is, almost by definition, working on slowing the application down. They are writing more code and adding more features, which will take more CPU cycles. That slows things down. If you add a video to your websites front page, you will slow down the loading of that page.

Tracking Performance

Since, in general, we all have limited time and resources for our projects, we must decide what areas of our program need to be worked on. The best way to ...

http://imgdr.massmind.com/uploads/suretech/file/Pace Performance talk.pdf

The SureTech.com SureNetwork™ Assessment Program 

Your first step towards solutions that are:

First, you could see your progress and your teams progress building a house just as you can see your progress creating a software program. While I was painting, others were doing other finishing work like installing trim. When I entered the house to start painting, I went up some temporary stairs in the front and when I had to leave, the front porch was about half-way done. That visual progress is great for morale and important to let everyone see that things are happening.

Another similarity is the jobs we did. Chris Peters made a point during the Word for Windows 6.0 project that we should not see ourselves as developers who write code, testers who test code and program managers who work on specifications. Instead each day we should think about what we could do to help ship a great product. Now obviously as a developer that often means writing code or debugging existing code, but sometimes that means sitting down with testers and helping them map out their test plan. Sometimes that means sitting down with documentation writers and explaining how the product works. And sometimes it means suggesting that a feature get cut or scaled back because it wont be ready on time (which would lead to removing code). All of those things help a project along towards its ultimate goal - getting into ...

One downside of using SVN is that it creates .svn sub-directories in all the directories that are enlisted in the project. These directories can have information useful to a website hacker (database passwords, for example). So, we need to make sure that people cannot access these sub-directories through HTTP/HTTPS. You could place a .htaccess file in each of the .svn directories, but that is tedious and you have to remember to do it each time you add a new directories. If you have access to your configuration file for your web server, you can make the directories inaccessible there.

But if you don't have access at that level (and many of us don't) the easiest place to make the change is in the .htaccess file at the root of your website.

The following code does just that, assuming you have mod_rewrite in your Apache installation.

  RewriteEngine on
  RewriteRule ^((.*)/)?\.svn/(.*) http://www.example.com [R,L]

This code checks to see if you have /.svn/ somewhere in the request, and, if it finds it, redirects the request to the root of your website (replace www.example.com with your website root). You could bring up ...

Virus Removal Guidelines

Overview

• Not all viruses are easily removed

• Sometimes a machine is infect to the point where a reinstall is necessary

• A good timeline tool is if it takes more than 1.5 hrs. or 2hrs with scanning it is time to escalate activity to plan "b"

• Plan "b" a wipe and reinstall or a new computer (cost factors of going any further unless specifically told are not value added to a client)

   

Recommended tool sets for all techs: 

1. Malwarebytes

2. Combofix (only works with xp and below)

3. Registry mechanic  

4. Highjackthis

5. Dial a fix

6. Kaspersky recovery AV (Linux boot disc.) or some sort of AV that can be run prior to boot of OS

7. rkill

Rules of Engagement:

1. Know your enemy (try to find out exactly what "viruses/program" is reeking havoc)

2. Safe mode boots are your friend. (Most viruses were installed using a specific user account, so when in doubt boot in safe mode as an administrator, usually it will let you install your tool sets to fight the virus.

3. The task manager and startup menus are your friends (when something ...

John Wooden was not just an amazing college basketball coach (having won twice as many men's national championships as the next closest coach) but he was also an amazing teacher and leader.  His "Pyramid of Success" succinctly lays out his basic principles for being successful. Traits such as Cooperation, Initiative and Poise. He has written a number of books on leadership and the lessons he teaches are applicable to the business world.

Even his quotes (Woodenisms) are applicable to business. Things like:

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

 Or

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."

That last one is particularly applicable to business. If we are doing anything important, we are most likely making mistakes. The key is how we learn from those and move forward.

When you have the chance, look up some of the wisdom of Coach Wooden, he is a remarkable person.

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