Posting after long time

Its been very long since i have posted something here.
Don't know why...
its time to start again...

Tips to remove malware from web apps

With the evolution of malware such as Asprox botnet, that not only compromises your website but also infects visitors coming to it. Removing malwares from portals has gained a lot of significance .

HackAlert is an online service for monitoring websites and Web applications for malicious code. As soon as the software detects any malicious code on the webserver, it instantly alerts administrators.

Apart from detecting injected code it can also scan outside links which might drop a malware to a client machine. It comes with an HTML analysis engine, which can identify malicious links embedded in JavaScript or in the form of hidden iFrames. It uses pattern-free behavioral analysis to detect unknown and zeroday malwares. It also provides detailed reports and threats graphs.

You start of by providing URLs which you want to get scanned. You can also upload a file containing the list of URLs.	Next you need to schedule timings for the scan to take place and the interval between the successive scans. Minimum interval you can select is 20 mins.
Through the main console, you can review the URLs currently being monitored, see their reports, update their settings, etc.	Upon detection of a malware the software shows you the severity level of malware present along with its their location and name.

25 Sure-fire Ways To Motivate Your Team Members

Of all the resources utilized during a project, the team working on the project is the most complex to manage. When motivated, your project team can take up Herculean tasks and not break a sweat but when things go wrong there is little saving the ship unless you find a way to change course in time. Motivation is a complex art, while the rule of the thumb is appreciation and reward, the same incentives do not work on all individuals.

1. Always start with yourself; to motivate others you have to be motivated yourself and should look for positives in all situations. As a role model, if you are energetic and inviting your team will have confidence in you and will follow willingly.

2. Share the information you have about the project and give them a sense of ownership. It is their project; they should know the circumstances and limitations surrounding the project. This can lead to team members coming up with good suggestions as well.

3. When you face a work related problem your team is your best resource, and one that can rise to the occasion if you manage to motivate them. Take your problems to them; discuss and look for ideas and ways out of trouble. Once they feel you are a part of the team it is easier to rev them up good.

4. While discipline is important, strive to keep your work environment as informal as possible. People usually work better without the boss breathing down their neck so push for deadlines but in a manner that makes it a team goal they can take pride in achieving instead of an order that precedes insults on failure.

5. Projects are divided into phases; a good PM motivates his team by pointing out the milestones within the project. Usually you can arrange for special celebrations upon reaching the milestones on time. Plan your work parties ahead of time, or plan them during work hours so the team can all gather around and enjoy instead of worrying about other commitments.

6. Always appreciate your team members, even the small tasks that result in the leader saying ‘thank you’ can make people strive harder for appreciation. While communicating, choose your words wisely; be humble, use words like we instead of I.

7. During evaluation do not try to pin the blame on anyone as it creates an environment of distrust. For a good team environment you have to make them believe it is a team accomplishment or team failure.

8. Provide feedback in a positive manner; give them what was done right, mention the shortcomings and how the team can do better. Be a part of the team when there is blame to take but end your feedback on a positive note.

9. Everyone eats, take individual team members out to lunch, discuss trivial things as well as work related matters and just let them enjoy the time. Its free lunch to them and your time is well spent because at the end of it you have established a relationship from which you get fresh ideas and a willing worker who knows he is valued.

10. Listen to your team members talk; give them your ear from time to time and really listen. This should be a ritual every few days to get their perspectives. You can get new ideas and things they say can help you improve your policies and even benefit your business.

11. When a team member comes to you with a problem be positive in your analysis, try to find a definite solution and back him to work it out, even if you have to roll up your sleeves and help. Earning respect with deeds goes further than words.

12. Always support your team, give them confidence and give them opportunities to fulfill your confidence. It is imperative that you tell them you are there to support them in case they are stuck.

13. Not everyone can handle every job. As a leader it is up to you to pick the right person for the right job because while an under confident member can gain loads from successfully achieving his goal, failure has a huge negative impact on morale.

14. Eating together can be a relationship builder, have team lunches where someone gives a work related presentation. You basically end up killing two birds with a single stone.

15. Let your team be creative. Your team’s productivity is likely to go up if you give them a day where they can try out their ideas, as long as it has something to do with the project at hand, let them enjoy themselves.

16. What do people work best for? Something they have stakes in, those can be monetary stakes and they can be emotional or personal attachments. If you instill a sense of ownership in the team they will take the team goals as their personal goals, you need not worry about the end product after that; it is going to be their best effort.

17. Give them something fun to look forward to. That can be some time off at a board game or you can have a bake off or something similar. It is good to pit the junior members against the seniors and let them enjoy the competition. Or you can have work parties, give people responsibility to arrange them and bring people out of their shells so they take up responsibilities as well. The whole program helps lighten the mood and you share something good to eat too.

18. Encouragement goes a long way within a team and individually. When someone does well, be generous in your praise. An email to recognize a good idea, a pat on the back for a quick delivery or praise in front of the team or senior management is an excellent way to tell them they are appreciated.

19. When you ask for ideas and input it is usually the shy team members that lag behind. Give them time as well as the opportunity to come forward and speak. Listen carefully and evaluate ideas on merit, make sure not to discourage anyone though; telling them off for a bad idea means they probably will not speak again.

20. During a discussion, if there is a point that needs clearing up find the time to clarify or ask for a clarification. Misunderstandings can lead to huge blunders and these can be detrimental to how you feel about your team members. Avoid conflict and resolve situations before they can damage the team morale, or that of individuals.

21. Spot the motivators within your team; there are individuals that put a spark in the atmosphere, they are active and they compel others to show the same energy without ever saying it. If you have a good motivator prioritize his career development plans so even if there is no room for vertical growth, he gets satisfaction from horizontal growth within the organization.

22. Brainstorming sessions produce some great ideas and when they are one on one they show your team members they are considered important. Along with importance should come responsibility so give them roles they can fulfill according to their capabilities and interests.

23. Divide the project into parts where you can give individuals smaller achievable goals. This gives them the freedom to do things their way while letting them gain in confidence as well as motivation to do the best they can.

24. Achievement of organizational goals should lead to benefits. These can be monetary benefits as well as packages that provide the team members, e.g. medical cover or something similarly advantageous.

25. Last but not the least, keep Maslow's Hierarchy of needs in mind; not every individual has the same motivational needs and while a certain incentive would work for one team member it would not motivate the other and can even backfire. For instance, if a member is financially insecure he will value a raise more than anything else, but the same raise will not work on a financially secure member, he can be concentrating on job security or his own safety, therefore it is of utmost importance to get to know your team. Once you have worked out where they stand on the hierarchy of needs, you can work out the best motivational incentive for them. Macro-management does not pay the dividends.

30 Skills Every IT Person Needs

An IT manager's guide on how to be better at what you do, no matter how experienced you are.

1. Be able to fix basic PC issues. These can be how to map a printer, back up files, or add a network card. You don't need to be an expert and understand how to overclock a CPU or hack the registry, but if you work in IT, people expect you to be able to do some things.

2. Work the help desk. Everyone, from the CIO to the senior architect, should be able to sit down at the help desk and answer the phones. Not only will you gain a new appreciation for the folks on the phones, but you will also teach them more about your process and avoid escalations in the future.

3. Do public speaking. At least once, you should present a topic to your peers. It can be as simple as a five-minute tutorial on how IM works, but being able to explain something and being comfortable enough to talk in front of a crowd is a skill you need to have. If you are nervous, partner with someone who is good at it, or do a roundtable. This way, if you get flustered, someone is there to cover for you.

4. Train someone. The best way to learn is to teach.

5. Listen more than you speak. I very rarely say something I didn't already know, but I often hear other people say things and think, "Darn, I wish I knew that last week."

6. Know basic networking. Whether you are a network engineer, a help desk technician, a business analyst, or a system administrator, you need to understand how networks work and simple troubleshooting. You should understand DNS and how to check it, as well as how to ping and trace-route machines.


7. Know basic system administration. Understand file permissions, access levels, and why machines talk to the domain controllers. You don't need to be an expert, but knowing the basics will avoid many headaches down the road.

8. Know how to take a network trace. Everyone in IT should be able to fire up wireshark, netmon, snoop, or some basic network capturing tool. You don't need to understand everything in it, but you should be able to capture it to send to a network engineer to examine.

9. Know the difference between latency and bandwidth. Latency is the amount of time to get a packet back and forth; bandwidth is the maximum amount of data a link can carry. They are related, but different. A link with high-bandwidth utilization can cause latency to go higher, but if the link isn't full, adding more bandwidth can't reduce latency.

10. Script. Everyone should be able to throw a script together to get quick results. That doesn't mean you're a programmer. Real programmers put in error messages, look for abnormal behavior, and document. You don't need to do that, but you should be able to put something together to remove lines, send e-mail, or copy files.

11. Back up. Before you do anything, for your own sake, back it up.

12. Test backups. If you haven't tested restoring it, it isn't really there. Trust me.

13. Document. None of the rest of us wants to have to figure out what you did. Write it down and put it in a location everyone can find. Even if it's obvious what you did or why you did it, write it down.

14. Read "The Cuckoo's Egg." I don't get a cut from Cliff Stoll (the author), but this is probably the best security book there is -- not because it is so technical, but because it isn't.

15. Work all night on a team project. No one likes to do this, but it's part of IT. Working through a hell project that requires an all-nighter to resolve stinks, but it builds very useful camaraderie by the time it is done.

16. Run cable. It looks easy, but it isn't. Plus, you will understand why installing a new server doesn't really take five minutes -- unless, of course, you just plug in both ends and let the cable fall all over the place. Don't do that -- do it right. Label all the cables (yes, both ends), and dress them nice and neat. This will save time when there's a problem because you'll be able to see what goes where.

17. You should know some energy rules of thumb. For example: A device consuming 3.5kW of electricity requires a ton of cooling to compensate for the heat. And I really do mean a ton, not merely "a lot." Note that 3.5kW is roughly what 15 to 20 fairly new 1U and 2U servers consume. One ton of cooling requires three 10-inch-round ducts to handle the air; 30 tons of air requires a duct measuring 80 by 20 inches. Thirty tons of air is a considerable amount.

18. Manage at least one project. This way, the next time the project manager asks you for a status, you'll understand why. Ideally, you will have already sent the status report because you knew it would be asked for.

19. Understand operating costs versus capital projects. Operating costs are the costs to run the business. Capital equipment is made of assets that can have their cost spread over a time period -- say, 36 months. Operating costs are sometimes better, sometimes worse. Know which one is better -- it can make a difference between a yes and no.

20. Learn the business processes. Being able to spot improvements in the way the business is run is a great technique for gaining points. You don't need to use fancy tools; just asking a few questions and using common sense will serve you well.

21. Don't be afraid to debate something you know is wrong. But also know when to stop arguing. It's a fine line between having a good idea and being a pain in the ass.

22. If you have to go to your boss with a problem, make sure you have at least one solution.

23. There is no such thing as a dumb question, so ask it ... once. Then write down the answer so that you don't have to ask it again. If you ask the same person the same question more than twice, you're an idiot (in their eyes).

24. Even if it takes you twice as long to figure something out on your own versus asking someone else, take the time to do it yourself. You'll remember it longer. If it takes more than twice as long, ask.

25. Learn how to speak without using acronyms.

26. IT managers: Listen to your people. They know more than you. If not, get rid of them and hire smarter people. If you think you are the smartest one, resign.

27. IT managers: If you know the answer, ask the right questions for someone else to get the solution; don't just give the answer. This is hard when you know what will bring the system back up quickly and everyone in the company is waiting for it, but it will pay off in the long run. After all, you won't always be available.


28. IT managers: The first time someone does something wrong, it's not a mistake -- it's a learning experience. The next time, though, give them hell. And remember: Every day is a chance for an employee to learn something else. Make sure they learn something valuable versus learning there's a better job out there.

29. IT managers: Always give people more work than you think they can handle. People will say you are unrealistic, but everyone needs something to complain about anyway, so make it easy. Plus, there's nothing worse than looking at the clock at 2 p.m. and thinking, "I've got nothing to do, but can't leave." This way, your employees won't have that dilemma.

30. IT managers: Square pegs go in square holes. If someone works well in a team but not so effectively on their own, keep them as part of a team.

Step-by-step guide to filing your income tax returns online

I had always wanted to file my income tax returns but the plethora of paperwork always discouraged me. Finding an agent who could stand in long queues at the income tax office � of course, for a fee � to file my returns was also not me.

But then friends also scared me saying not filing tax returns will put me in banks' bad books as and when I'd apply for a home loan. That was a real shocker for I am planning to buy a house and I need to put this tax record straight.

Not that I don't pay my taxes. It's only that I don't file my tax returns (Remember paying taxes and filing returns is not the same thing). Our company's accounts department very religiously deducts tax at source � which they fondly call TDS and which also finds a mention on my salary slip. It's only that that I hate paperwork. Online banking, online news, online mutual fund investments is what I love. Internet, it seems, has made (or will make) an entire generation lazy. But then if I can also file my income tax returns online I am not complaining at all.

Welcome to the e-AGE. You can file your income tax returns online.

How do you go about it?

That's what I asked my friend who told me about e-filing of taxes. "It's really very simple," he said giving me a what-on-earth-were-you-doing-for-so-many-days-you-idiot kind of a look.

Visit the incometaxindia website and register as a new user. The 'new user' link is in the 'Login' section just below the image of the Indian tricolour, he specified, looking angrily into my eyes.

You will have to input five details inside the box provided on the form and click on the 'Register' button. The form asks you for your permanent account number (PAN) and other personal details.

"I hope you must be at least having your PAN," he kind of barked. "If you don't have one then even that can be sourced online." He was now furious as he was waiting for my response.

"I do have one," I said cowering a bit. "Good then," he sighed.

Once you click on the 'Register' button you will be taken to a form that will automatically have your address and other details (as submitted by you for getting a PAN). You will just have to put your own password, telephone number, e-mail and click on the 'Submit' button.

And you will be taken to a page that has links for e-filing your tax returns for the assessment year 2006-07 and 2007-08. For those who joined the party late here's what an assessment year is"

Assessment year is a period of 12 months starting from April 1 and ending on March 31 the following year. Previous year is the financial year immediately before the assessment year.

Income earned in the previous year is taxable in the assessment year.

Let's take an example to make it simple.

Let's take April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007 as the assessment year. The previous year corresponding to this assessment year will be April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006.

So the income earned in the previous year April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 is taxable in the assessment year starting from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007.

Similarly, income earned in the previous year April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007 is taxable in the assessment year starting from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008.

That's not all

Now let's say you click on e-filing for A.Y. 2007-08. You will be taken to a page from where you can download an excel utility that helps you file online income tax returns.

~ Choose which category you belong to (salaried employees with only salary income will have to download ITR-1).

~ Fill in the required data asked for in the excel sheet.

~ Save the excel file on your local machine.

~ Click on 'Submit return' link in the middle on the left hand side to upload the saved excel file to the income tax of India's server.

Still not through

Don't get bored yet. Though you may have spent a solid ten minutes reading this article now (I know it's very boring but useful too I surmise) it's not that time consuming when you do it online. After uploading excel file successfully a form will pop up in your computer's window. This is in acknowledgement that you have filed your returns online successfully. Take a print out of this form and fill in the verification part which duly needs to be posted to your nearest local income tax office.

Take due care that if you upload the file today then the income tax department should receive the verification form duly filled and signed in the next 15 days by post. If not you will have to go through the entire procedure again.

If you are already raising your eyebrows then here's a solution to it: digital signature. This is something that will make your e-filing income tax returns really paperless.

Digital signature is like your electronic identity that confirms that the person who has submitted all the details is really 'YOU'. Companies like Safe Scrypt will do it for you, again online and for a fee. As per the IT Act 2000 they are legally as valid as physically signed documents in any Indian court of law.

That's about it dear readers. Call it laziness or call it convenience. Filing your income tax returns is now really possible at the click of a mouse. I am going to file it as soon as I get my Form 16 and show to my friend that even I did it.

What's more you can file them anytime, anywhere; away from the prying eyes of sneaky colleagues and from within the confines of your home. Who said government offices work only 9 am to 5 pm. Online income tax returns can be filed even after 5 pm or at any time of the day or night.