Held in Dubai yesterday the HITB (Hack In The Box) security conference, security researchers demonstrated how to use the code to use the design of Windows 7’s invasion of the operating system.

Nitin Kumar and Vipin Kumar of common R & D VBootkit 2.0 software, the software can be the start of Windows 7 to seize control systems, and other flaws, this is the birthright of Windows 7, “it can not be repaired, it is Windows 7 design problems. “Vipin said that the Windows 7 start of the design process.

Vipin said, VBootkit 2.0 procedures only 3KB, hackers can change the system boot time to load the document in memory, since it does not make any changes to hard disk file, making it difficult to be detected, but after this restart your computer security issues will be eliminated, because in the resumption of the process of system memory was empty.

Although VBootkit can be used to control the computer, but it does not pose a threat to the broader context, because hackers access to victims must be the actual computer can be attacked, and can not use the software for remote attacks.

Once the invasion VBootkit 2.0 system, hackers can change the access rights to the highest level, you can clear the user password and access the victim’s documents, and the original password can also be restored, so that victims do not know their own security system had been hacked .

As its name, VBootkit 2.0 is the second edition of the software, in 2007 the first edition of the demonstrations have been used to plug a loophole in Vista’s invasion system.

So far, Microsoft has not issued a public statement on the matter.

This post was originally titled “FTE vs. Contract in this Economy”, but it didn’t seem to capture the essence of this entry. I wanted to write about why I think contracting is better in this down economy, but I also wanted to write about how you you might go about setting up your own company. Starting a company is relatively easy from a legal standpoint, and hopefully I can provide some resources that’ll make it even easier.

First of all, I believe that contracting is better in this economy for a very simple reason:

When you’re a contractor, you’re prepared to be let go.

There’s really nothing like being laid off. It sucks. It often shocks you and makes you depressed. The good part is you usually get a good afternoon’s worth of drinking out of it, but that’s about it. Severance is cool, but let’s face it – you’d much rather be employed.

As a contractor, you’re always looking for your next gig. You’re prepared for the worst. You’re more motivated to learn marketable skills. You’re constantly thinking about how you can market yourself better. Writing (blogging, articles, books) is an excellent way to do this and I believe it’s rare that FTE are as motivated to do these kinds of things.

Being a contractor forces you to better yourself so you’re more marketable.

People’s biggest fear of contracting is that they’ll have a hard time finding their next gig. In my career, I’ve rarely had an issue with this. There’s always contracts available, it’s just a matter of how much you’re going to get paid. Yes, I’ve had to suck-it-up and make $55/hour instead of $125/hour, but that was back in 2003 and $55/hour is still more than I would have made as a FTE.

The other thing that makes me believe contracting is better in this economy is I believe companies are hiring more short-term contractors than employees. I don’t know if this is because they consider employees liabilities and contractors expenses, but something about it seems to make the books look better.

So you’ve decided to take my advice and try your hand at contracting. Should you setup your own Corporation or LLC?

Starting a Company
Yes, you should absolutely start your own company. As a Software Developer, chances are you’re going to make enough to put you in the highest tax bracket. If you’re a Sole Proprietor (no company), you will pay something like 35% of your income to taxes and you can be sued for everything you own by your clients.

Should you create an LLC or Corporation? I started Raible Designs in May 1998. I started out as an LLC and later converted to an S Corp. For the first few years, I made $30-$55/hour and this seemed to work pretty well. I believe this was similar to having a Sole Proprietorship (because I was the only employee), except that I was protected from lawsuits.

In 2001, I got my first high-paying gig at $90/hour and my Accountant suggested I change to an S Corp to save 10K+ on self-employment tax. I’m certainly not an expert on the different types of business entities, but this path seemed to work well for me. It was $50 to convert from an LLC to an S Corp. I’m not sure if you can go from an S Corp to an LLC. The beauty of an S Corp is the corporation typically gets taxed at 15%, so you can run a lot of things through your business and pay less taxes. Date nights can be business meetings, vacations can be Shareholders Meetings, seasons tickets can be client entertainment and you can write off your car and fuel costs.

There’s lots of good resources on the web that describe the different business entity options. My favorite is A List Apart’s This Web Business IV: Business Entity Options. Another good resource is How to form an LLC.

The hardest part of starting a new business is coming up with a good name. My advice is to make sure the domain name is available and pick something you like. I chose Raible Designs because I designed web sites at the time. Raible is a pretty unique name, so that’s worked well having it as part of my business name. Googlability is important – don’t choose a generic name that will make you difficult to find. Potential clients should be able to google your business name and find you easily.

Once you’ve picked a name, the business establishment part is pretty easy. In Colorado, you can File a Document with the Secretary of State. Their site also allows you to reserve a name if you’re not quite ready to make the leap.

You’ll also need to get a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) from the IRS. The IRS has a good Starting a Business article and also allows you to Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online.

Once you’ve got all the documents setup, you’ll want to create a bank account for your business. I’m currently using Wells Fargo and really like how software-friendly they are. Their online banking is clean and easy to use. They also support QuickBooks for the Mac. They have Payroll Services to allow you to pay your quarterly taxes online as well as setup direct deposit, but I’m not using them.

For payroll, I use PayCycle and have nothing but good things to say about them. I have the Small Business Package at $42.99 per month. This package allows me to pay myself and employees + up to 5 sub-contractors with direct deposit. It also allows me to pay both Federal and State quarterly taxes online. Of course, if you can also get an Accountant to do this for you.

Having a good Accountant and Financial Advisor (for your retirement plan) will likely be an essential part of your business.. LinkedIn’s Service Providers is a good way to find recommended professionals in your area. For example, click here to search for Accountants and then click the change location link in the top right corner to specify your zip code.

Finally, you’ll need insurance. The Hartford has a good Small Business package that costs around $500/year. It’s liability limits have worked for all of my clients and I’m covered if my laptop ever gets stolen. For Health Insurance, I recommend using eHealthInsurance.com to find a good provider for you. I don’t get sick or hurt much, so I typically get a disaster prevention plan with a $5K deductible. For dental insurance, brush your teeth. Vision insurance typically sucks, so I wouldn’t buy it. Yes, our health care system in the US needs work and I believe if everyone had a small business, it might get more affordable a lot quicker.

Over the next few days, I’ll post some additional advice I’ve received on retirement plans, deducting a home office, drawing up contracts and how to come up with a good rate. If you’re an Independent Software Developer and have any additional advice, I’d love to hear it.

GnuCash

I just started testing a personal financial software called GnuCash and love it! GnuCash is an open source financial management application let you handle your finanancial data including Assets, Equity, Expense, Income, Liabilities , etc. like most financial softwares do.

If you’re interested, you can read the full review from about.com and download it from sourceforget.net

Your team still gives a crap about its CMM Level

Your favorite software pattern is God Object

Your manager thinks being SOX compliant means not working on baseball nights

The company hires Senetor Ted Stevens to give your project kick-off inspiration speech

Top 10 Ways to Know Your Software Project is Doomed

Here is my top 10 from this list of 101 ways to know your software project is doomed:

1. Developers use the excuse of “self documenting code” for no comments
2. All of your requirements are written on a used cocktail napkin
3. Progress is now measured by the number of fixed bugs and not completed features
4. Your source code control system is a series of folders on a shared drive
5. Your manager wastes 7 hours a week asking for progress reports
6. The phrase “It works on my machine” is heard more than once a day
7. Developers are not responsible for any testing
8. All code reviews are scheduled a week before product launch
9. You have cut and pasted code from The Daily WTF
10. The last book you read: Oracle 8i A Beginner’s Guide.

What’s your favorite one?

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