Developing software for clients all over the world
by admin on Mar.09, 2010, under Software Development
I am based in South Africa but have (happy) customers all over the world. Developing a system for someone that you have never met require a certain set of skills … skills that I have acquired over the past 4 years (been developing software for the last 17 years but been self employed for the last 4).
When you need to design, develop, deploy and support a system without a single meeting keep the following in mind:
- Documenting every little detail of the system will not help. The client is not going to go through pages and pages of information. It doesn’t help if you sit with a signed document to ‘cover you’ but you have a very unhappy customer.
- Use and agile software development methodology. If your only method of communication was email and the odd telephone conversation the chances are there have been some misunderstandings and you will need to adapt.
- Deliver early and often (part of the agile development process). The customer will much rather play with his new toy than study a document for hours to see what he is going to get.
- Break up the costs into payments for deliverables. You deliver early and often … let the customer do the same. Don’t work for 3 months and then ask for a payment.
- Handle all possible exceptions in your code from the beginning. Make sure the error messages are clear and meaning full.
- Add logging to your system and let the system or the customer email you the log when there is a problem. Investigating a problem by using the customer’s description of the problem is a big mistake and will cost you a lot of precious time.
- Let the customer click ‘Install’ and let the program do everything else. It will be more work in the beginning but will be nothing compared to what you will need to do after your ‘step by step email on how to run the new script to update the database’.
I like how the internet changed how we do business. I can’t remember when last I wasted time in a meeting.
Also see my Software Development section on my website.
Diagnostic tool for redpill Agent
by admin on Feb.08, 2010, under redpill Agent
I have just completed a new diagnostic tool for redpill Agent.
redpill Agent Diagnostic Tool
If you don’t receive any data from your remote installation you can test your cover application by running it on your own computer and then running the redpill Agent Diagnostic Tool. It is actually a good idea to test your cover application before emailing it to the target.
The redpill Agent Diagnostic tool is only available to redpill Agent customers. Log into redpill Agent to download the tool (at the bottom of the cover app factory page).
redpill Spy version 4.52 is available.
by admin on Jan.13, 2010, under Spy Software, redpill Spy
redpill spy version 4.52 has just been published and can now be downloaded.
Enhancements include:
- Improved data export functionality.
- Additional antivirus detection counter-measures.
- Some UI improvements.
- Websites visited are also now not recorded when you ‘pause’ the surveillance.
redpill spy can be installed for free from http://www.redpill.co.za. The free edition does not expire and is also (same as Basic and Pro editions) completely hidden and discreet.
Analyzing data in redpill spy
by admin on Jan.11, 2010, under Spy Software, redpill Spy
To analyze data in redpill spy can be a lot of fun. Looking at the screenshots (see pic below) is straight forward and easy.
redpill spy
The fun comes in when you are analyzing the key log. redpill spy is also a keylogger that logs every key that is typed. Some key loggers will attempt to clean up the data for you but this always leads to loss of data and sometimes the important data you where looking for. redpill spy will do some clean up but will not do any translations that will lead to loss of data.
redpill spy will for example replace multiple backspaces with the number of times a backspace was pressed. This is important as a lot of users will hold the backspace key down to clear a word especially a word in an input field (text box). When the backspace key is hold down the computer will translate that into the backspace being pressed multiple times. The number will depend on how long the key is hold down.
Example:
Pazz[backpace][backpace]ssword can be translated as password. You can see that the user pressed the backspace twice to remove to characters. You simply remove the same number of characters before the backspaces as the number of backspaces that was pressed.
Pazz[Backspace x 8]Password. In this case the word can also be translated as password as you can see the user was holding down the backspace to clear a word that was probably in an input field (text box).
Analyzing the data in a keylog can be a lot of fun and the more you work at it the better you get. After a while you will be able to spot a username and password combination from a distance.
Developing really cool software.
by admin on Jan.06, 2010, under Micro ISV, Software Development
Although I have to wear many different hats in my line of business (Micro ISV), the most important one (and the one I enjoy the most) still remains that of a programmer. Initially I decided I am not going to blog about programming as I didn’t want to bore my customers. I however no longer can resist and I have found that many of my customers are really interested about the more technical side of their software.
So … here follows my first post in the new Software Development category …
I recently found this graph of features and user happiness on the net.
User Happiness and Features Curve
I believe there is always room for improvement. After 3 years I am still adding features to my flagship product redpill Spy. Experience however have taught me to think very carefully about what features to add as some features might look great and useful but they will take your app from cool to clumsy. I actually removed a feature or two over the past 3 years.
I always liked google’s philosophy of “Focus on the user and all else will follow” and “It’s best to do one thing really, really well”. It’s a philosophy that will help you develop cool software and have many happy customers.
Free Software vs Cracked Software
by admin on Dec.09, 2009, under Micro ISV, Products, Spy Software, redpill Spy
Most of my competition gives away a trial version of their software that expirers after a few days. Originally redpill Spy worked the same way but for the last 2 years I have changed that to a free edition. The free edition never expires and is just as discreet as the full version. There are obviously some limitations in the free edition but it’s still a useful working application and I get a lot of good feedback from users that only use the free edition (redpill Spy Light).
Despite the fact that there is a free edition of redpill Spy available … check this out! :
Google Search for redpill spy
Those searches for cracks and key generators result in nothing !! 
!! The sites that offer a cracked version (after a payment) only gives an old version of the free edition in any case.
If you don’t want to pay you can relax and know that the free edition delivers what it promises. No pop up messages that will warn the user the computer is being monitored and you can continue to use it for as long as you want.
How to protect yourself
by admin on Dec.01, 2009, under Spy Software, redpill Spy
With so many different phishing attacks and spy software available, how do you protect yourself?
Protecting yourself from a phishing attack is fairly easy. Don’t trust any email that ask for personal information or money (usually promising you to get a lot more in return). When you are asked to update information or log in, do not click on the link in the email. Instead log into your bank or email account directly.
To protect your computer from spy software (key loggers) and hackers:
- Make sure you are up to date with your security patches for your operating system.
- Make sure your anti virus is up to date with the latest virus definition files.
- Don’t open any attachment or link in an email that you don’t trust 100%.
- When opening an attachment or link from someone you trust, don’t run any applications (Windows will prompt you and ask you if you trust the application). If you want to run an application, rather download it directly from a website you trust.
- Limit physical access to your computer to people you trust.
- Install monitoring software like redpill Spy on your computer. That way, you will know what was done on your computer when you where not there or when it goes in for repairs. With redpill Spy you will be able to see if they installed anything and what was installed.
- Make sure your children’s computers are protected and know what they are doing when they are on the internet. Children lack the experience to determine if something is legitimate or not. See my post on monitoring your children’s computers.
Remote covert installations just became easier..
by admin on Nov.20, 2009, under Spy Software, redpill Agent
A new cover application has been added to redpill Agent. A cover application is an application that you choose when using redpill Agent to install redpill Agent on a computer that you don’t have access to (for example when the computer is in another country).
The cover application will secretly install spy software on a computer while it’s doing something else. The new cover application is a BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index Calculator). It calculates your BMI and tells you if you are underweight, normal, overweight or obese.
BMI Calculator (Cover Application)
For more information on how a cover application is used see the post on social engineering.
OrderMoola Rocks!
by admin on Nov.18, 2009, under Micro ISV, OrderMoola, Products
I recently ran an email campaign with OrderMoola … it was a walk in the park and I was amazed at the number of sales it generated. When I started my Micro ISV business I captured all my order and customer details in Excel. I decided I had to import my old customer details that were still in Excel into OrderMoola .
I have just published OrderMoola Version 1.2 that allows you to import customers from comma separated files (CSV). Most databases and excel allows you to export data into comma separated text files. The new version also includes a new monthly report and some other enhancements.
OrderMoola
Existing customers will automatically be updated. OrderMoola was developed using C# and WPF.
Is it ok for a Christian to use spy software?
by admin on Nov.05, 2009, under Spiritual/Life, Spy Software
There are many reasons to install software like redpill spy on a computer. To monitor your children, to get your laptop back if it’s stolen or to prevent people from messing around on your computer when you are not there, just to name a few. There are obviously nothing wrong with using redpill spy for any of these reasons.
So I guess the real question is ‘Is it ok for a Christian to spy on his/her spouse?’
Below is my personal opinion to this question. I am discussing only the moral issues involved and not any legal issues (legal issues are discussed in other posts in this blog).
Trust is important to any relationship so don’t spy on your spouse just because you can. If you however see signs of infidelity and you suspect that your partner is being unfaithful you need to confirm this so that you can take appropriate action and stop your partner from stealing your life away from you.
A lot of Christians will however keep on living in denial as they believe that they must trust their partner no matter what. Trust is important but should not be the basis of a relationship. Love should be your basis … and NO, it’s not the same thing. Trust says you will never hurt me, you will never lie to me, and you will always be faithful. Love is almost the opposite. Love expects but endures many transgressions (1 Corinthians 13). So love says: I know you will eventually hurt me, but I will love you in any case.
We are instructed to love one another but never instructed to trust each other completely. In the bible we are actually instructed to never completely trust another human being (Psalm 118:8-9, Jeremiah 9:4, Micah 7:5).
So, in short, trust is very important for a healthy, happy relationship but if you are in a situation where you expect infidelity or there are other trust issues I believe you have the right to get the evidence you need.
