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simply Obfuscation is Confusion resulting from failure to understand MSIL.

One topic I’m often asked about is obfuscation of managed code. In
the context of software, obfuscation is the process of scrambling the
symbols, code, and data of a program to prevent reverse engineering.

Optimizing C++ compilers for native code tend to produce obfuscated
code by default. In the process of optimizing, the code is often
rearranged quite a bit and symbols are stripped from retail builds. In
contrast, managed code compilers (C#, VB.NET, etc) generate IL, not
native assembly code. This IL tends to be consistently structured and
fairly easy to reverse engineer. Most optimization happens when the IL
is JIT-compiled into native code, not during compilation.

This means it’s pretty easy to take a compiled assembly and de-compile it into source code, using a tool such as Reflector.
While this is a non-issue for web scenarios where all the code resides
on the server, it’s a big issue for some client scenarios, especially
ISV applications. These client applications may contain trade secrets
or sensitive information in their algorithms, data structures, or data.
This is where obfuscation tools come in.

Obfuscation tools mangle symbols and rearrange code blocks to foil
decompiling. They also may encrypt strings containing sensitive data.
It’s important to understand that obfuscators (as they exist today)
can’t completely protect your intellectual property. Because the code
is on the client machine, a really determined hacker with lots of time
can study the code and data structures enough to understand what’s
going on. Obfuscators do provide value in raising the bar, however,
defeating most decompiler tools and preventing the casual hacker from
stealing your intellectual property. They can make your code as
difficult to reverse engineer as optimize native code. 

If you’re interested in obfuscation for your code, I recommend
taking a look at one of the third-party obfuscators that work on
managed code. For example, Visual Studio ships with the community edition of Dotfuscator,
a popular obfuscation package. The community edition only mangles
symbol names, so it’s not doing everything the full-featured editions
do, but it will at least give you an idea of how an obfuscator works.
And there are other third-party obfuscators
that work on managed code as well. Keep in mind that obfuscating your
code may make debugging more difficult or impossible. Many of the
third-party obfuscators have features that help with debugging,
however, such as keeping a mapping file from obfuscated symbol names to
original symbol names.

I’m also asked what is Microsoft’s stance on obfuscation? Do we
obfuscate our own code? The answer for the .NET Framework is no. As a
development platform, it makes more sense not to obfuscate, so we
protect our intellectual property by other means. Some Microsoft
products that use managed code have opted to obfuscate, however, so we
do not have a one-size-fits-all approach within the company.

I’d be interested to hear your opinions of or experience with
obfuscation. Were you able to protect your code? What problems did you
run into?

via

Are You Planning to Switch Job -
You
spend a large percentage of your waking hours at your job. How happy
are you there? Will you be happier in a new job? To switch or not to
switch is the perennial question many of us face today.

If your job isn’t working for you, don’t panic or take it
personally. A large percentage of employees switch jobs in such
conditions. “If you’re not thrilled about your current situation, you
should be actively interviewing with other companies. It’s much easier
– both emotionally, and from a negotiation standpoint,” says Mohit
Kesarwani, 26, a unit manager with ICICI Bank.

But, before you reach that decision, it is important to evaluate certain aspects -

Are you a chronic job-switcher?
“Whether
it’s for a good reason or bad, switching jobs is extremely common
nowadays, especially in some professions — software for example. The
days when people kept only one job throughout their lives are gone.
Today, the average CV usually contains several moves, especially early
on in a career. In fact, it’s even considered unambitious to spend too
many years in one job,” says Manisha Dutt, 29, a manager with a
software firm in Gurgaon.

However,
an extreme case of ‘job hopping,’ such as one every year or even
several times a year, definitely won’t reflect well on your resume,
especially if you are under 30. “This is because a company also spends
a considerable amount on training new employees and is always looking
at reducing employee turnover. In such a case, one look at your resume,
and they may run in the other direction,” says Kesarwani.

Circumstances that demand a job change and those that don’t -

Some
circumstances may warrant a job change, but others can be remedied.
“The reason to get you to switch needs to be big — reasons like lack
of opportunities for growth, a move necessitated for family/ health
reasons, need for a better salary, etc. Alternatively, you may know for
sure that the new company is a great place to work in,” says Pankaj
Sharma, 27, an independent recruitment consultant in Delhi.

Questions to ask yourself -
Ask yourself the following questions regarding where you are at present (and be honest with your answers) -

*
Do I really like my current job?
*
Do I enjoy working with my colleagues?
*
If I stay here, where will I be in two years time?
*
Could I be earning more elsewhere?
*
What are the intangible benefits of working here?
*
Is the technology one that I would like to align myself with in the future?

Answer the questions using these
broad parameters -

*
Job quality (Is this what I want to do?)
*
Growth prospects (Can I stay in this job? Can I move up?)
*

More money (How much is enough?)
*
Mental stimulation
*
The importance of money.

Money is good stuff -
it pays for nice vacations, cool cars, education for your children,
etc. Don’t discount the money factor, especially if others are
depending on you.

“No
matter what any one says, money does buy happiness. When you accumulate
a significant amount as a buffer between yourself and poverty, and stop
living one pay cheque at a time, your life completely changes. You gain
the freedom to pursue other avenues, like your own business, a career
change, a personal project, or a mentally enriching educational
experience. Such freedom is an incomparable source of happiness and
tranquility, and only money can grant it,” says Kesarwani.

However,
if the new place totally rocks, you might consider working there and
even taking a salary cut to jump ship if your current job is indeed a
living nightmare.

Do a cost-benefit analysis -
Let’s
say you take home Rs 30,000 per month. You are offered a 20 per cent
salary hike in the new job and see yourself now taking home Rs 36,000 a
month. What will that extra Rs 6,000 a month (= Rs 72,000 a year) do
for you?

Will you blow it all on a plasma TV, stash it all in savings
for an early retirement, eat out two or three more times a week, or go
partying with your friends?

What is the bottomline impact on
your lifestyle that this raise will give you? How will this raise
impact your work environment? Keeping in mind that you work eight hours
or more a day, are these extras worth the anxiety and the risk involved
in switching jobs? What risks do you have if you stay in your current
job? In short, what is the opportunity cost?

To
cut to the chase, don’t move only for financial reasons unless you’re
going to earn significantly more. Happiness, in terms of liking what
you are doing and feeling that you are accomplishing something, is much
more important. Eventually, the money won’t be motivation enough to
continue with the new job.

Weigh the risks -

Consider this -
you already know what your current job is like and you like it. You
know the people and get along with your colleagues, who are interesting
people. Your boss treats you well.

The new place might be even better and the offer may be 20 per
cent more than what you’re getting now. The people might all be nice,
or there may be a few nut cases and backstabbers there. Your boss may
steal the credit for the work you do.

“Switching is a big risk;
you are going out into the unknown. Chances are, the new place can be worse,” says Sharma, who has experienced this himself.

“Verify
everything the potential boss tells you. Bosses try to make the job
sound attractive in the same way that job applicants try to make
themselves sound good,” says Dutt.

If you don’t really want to quit -

“The
first step is to analyse why, and whether or not you really want to
leave. Is it just because of one thing, such as a low salary or an
interpersonal conflict? If so, you must communicate that to your
manager and HR department. It could be better to first consider options
such as moving to another department, or negotiating a salary hike
rather than leaving the organisation,” feels Dutt.

Most problems at the workplace can be solved if both parties
are willing to solve them. “A three-month trial can be experimented
with to see if the situation can be resolved. Just like problems take
time to develop, their solutions also take time to work,” says
Kesarwani.

Keep your relationship with your colleagues and your company intact -

The
way in which you carry yourself during your transition can have a great
impact on your career. It says as much about you professionally as the
impression you had made on your first day. The people who you work with
will make it a point to note your behaviour. If it is anywhere
inappropriate or negative, the word can spread quickly. Keep in mind
that this group you leave includes potential references.

“Your
last impression is just about as important as your first. It’s vital to
break away without any ill feeling, and leave behind an impeccable
record. It’s a small world and it could just happen that you work with,
or for, the very same people again,” says Sharma.

So, it’s important to leave on positive terms. Display
professionalism. The right attitude is critical to building bridges,
and not burning them, when you are at the threshold of assuming a new
position.

The guilt factor -

“Only
three months into my first job, I landed a new opportunity offering me
30 to 40 per cent more than my current job. I felt really bad leaving
my current job and disappointing the people that gave me a chance to
work there,” says Dutt.

“As for feeling bad about leaving, don’t get all flustered
about it. Everyone needs to grow, and employers themselves are aware of
that,” says Sharma. “The key for you is to determine whether it’s the
wrong job, the wrong employer, or the wrong career. Once you have made
that decision, the ideal scenario is to locate a new job while you are
still employed. Then, if you think what you get is better than your
current job, don’t feel guilty — take it. They’ll understand.