The Art of Appraisal

Big Boss: This year your performance was good, excellent and outstanding. So, your rating is "average". Kumar: What? How come 'average'? Big Boss: Because...err...uhh...you lack domain knowledge. Kumar: But last year you said I am a domain expert and you put me in this project as a domain consultant. Big Boss: Oh is it? Well, in that case, I think your domain knowledge has eroded this year. Kumar: What??? Big Boss: Yes, I didn't see you sharing knowledge on Purchasing domain. Kumar: Why would I? Because I am not in Purchasing, I am in Manufacturing. Big Boss: This is what I don't like about you. You give excuse for everything. Kumar: Huh? *Confused* Big Boss: Next, you need to improve your communication skills. Kumar: Like what? I am the one who trained the team on "Business Communication", you sat in the audience and took notes, you remember? Big Boss: Oh is it? Errr...well..I mean, you need to improve your Social Pragmatic Affirmative Communication. Kumar: Huh? What the hell is that? *Confused* Big Boss: See! That's why you need to learn about it. Kumar: *head spinning* Big Boss: Next, you need to sharpen your recruiting skills. All the guys you recruited left within 2 months. Kumar: Well, not my mistake. You told them you will sit beside them and review their code, and most resigned the next day itself. Couple of them even attempted suicide. Big Boss:*stunned* (recovers from shock) Err...anyway, I tried to give you a better rating, but our Normalization process gave you only 'average'. Kumar: Last year that process gave me 'excellent'. This year just 'average'? Why is this process pushing me up and down every year? Big Boss: That's a complicated process. You don't want to hear. Kumar: I'll try to understand. Go ahead. Big Boss: Well, we gather in a large room, write down the names of sub-ordinates in bits of paper, and throw them up in the air. Whichever lands on the floor gets 'average', whichever lands on table gets 'good', whichever we manage to catch gets 'excellent' and whichever gets stuck to ceiling gets 'outstanding'. Kumar: (eyes popping out) What? Ridiculous! So who gets 'poor' rating? Big Boss: Those are the ones we forget to write down. Kumar: What the hell! And how can paper bits stick to ceiling for 'outstanding'? Big Boss: Oh no, now you have started questioning our 20 year old organizational process! Kumar: *faints*

Thought

The soul that meditates on the Self is content to serve the Self and rests satisfied within the Self; there remains nothing more for him to accomplish.

Trojan targets iPad users through bogus update

The makers of the malware, Trojan are targeting iPad users through a email which tricks them to think that it is update for iTunes software however it spreads the malware to the device.
The malware laden email titled 'iPad Software Update' provides a link which takes the users to a web page which looks like the original iTunes download page however it installs the malware called backdoor. Bifrose. AADY on to the systems.
BitDefender, a security firm based in Romania identified the spread of malware through such an email. The malware affects the 'explorer. exe' and allows attackers to take control of the system whenever they want. It also attempts to steal passwords of various email accounts and serial numbers of software programs.
Sabina Datcu a researcher at BitDefender said in a blog post, "Unfortunately for these users, following the malicious link means opening up a direct line to their sensitive data as instead of the promised iTunes update they get malware on their systems."
The email even though made to look original, can be spotted for errors in the message. It begins as "There were released updates for software installed on your iPad device," and adds "It is very important to keep the software on your iPad updated for best performance, newer features and security."
The company says that the malware does not affect Mac users other wise it would speread to much large user base. It is likely that a small number of systems were affected before the news was out.
Apple earlier announced that it sold half a million iPads in the first week of its launch however as of April 3 some experts estimate the number at 1 million.

BitDefender advices users to download any iTune update only from the Apple's own site by looking for it manually.

 

Source- www.stockwatch.in

Though of the Day

 

 Wonderful Life-

Don't Put the key to your happiness in someone Else's pocket.... Everyone points to the other man,who, according to him, is happier. But the only one, who has the courage to declare that he is truly happy, is he who has relinquished all his passions and hungers from within.- Swami Chinmayananda

India is no. 3 haven for hackers

KOLKATA: India may be poised to become a software superpower by 2020, but it has already emerged as one of the top three spawning grounds for Web-based attacks.

India at third slot, stood next to the US and Brazil in 2009, in terms of countries where such malicious attacks originated, according to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat report. The Web security firm says India figured 13th on the list the previous year.

In terms of overall Web-based malicious activities, India already managed to hit the third slot during 2009, up six notches from 11 during 2008. Countries who outdid India were the US, China, Brazil and Germany.

Additionally, we were the third-highest spam generating country in the world, contributing about 4% to worldwide spam volumes. Spams are bogus mails targeted to extract sensitive information from PC users for wrongful financial gains.

In the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region, India ranked first in terms of spamming and contributed 21% to the regional total. About 6% of the world spam zombies and 28% of the APJ regional spam zombies resided in India. Around 1% of the world phishing hosts and 7% of regional phishing were in India.

A zombie, in tech parlance is a computer wired to the Net that has been compromised by a hacker. Zombies are used extensively to send e-mail spams, referred to as spam zombies and most owners of such PCs are unaware that their systems are being used in such ways.

Phishing, on the other hand, is an identity theft in which spammers use an authentic-looking e-mail to trick recipients into providing personal information such as credit card numbers or social security numbers.

What’s more, India ranked first in terms of worms and viruses and second for trojans and backdoors in the APJ region. A worm is a self-replicating malware computer program. It uses a computer network to send copies of itself to other computers on the network all by itself. Trojans and backdoors, on the other hand, are malware programs which keep sending sensitive information to hackers from the infected computers.

The country saw an average of 788 bots per day during 2009. Bots are malwares that turn computers into zombies and there were 62,623 distinct bot-infected computers observed in the country during 2009. Amongst the cities in India with the highest number of bot-infected computers, Mumbai figured at the top with 50% followed by Delhi at 13% and Hyderabad at 7%.

According to Symantec, majority of the malicious codes were propagated through file sharing and executable files. File transfer and common internet file system was the second-most preferred means while the rest was through remotely exploitable vulnerability. Other popular means included file transfer, email attachment, instant messengers, data-bases as well as backdoors. 

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Quote For Today

Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play is your own will.-   J.L. Nehru