In this week's column, James Whittaker's message to testers is loud and clear: Respect your discipline and you will gain the respect that your discipline deserves. Read on for some ways that testers can earn respect, and for some common elements present in organizations that recognize the importance of testing.

This document discusses in detail the common "SQL injection" technique, as it applies to the popular Microsoft Internet Information Server/Active Server Pages/SQL Server platform. It discusses the various ways in which SQL can be "injected" into the application and addresses some of the data validation and database lockdown issues that are related to this class of attack. 

The primary goal of any IT department is to create the right software, on time and on budget with a high degree of quality. To accomplish this consistently, it is imperative that software releases contain well-known and documented change sets. This article discusses a clear way to articulate the problem as well as areas to focus resources that will result in measurable software quality improvements.

In his article "Test Estimation" (STQE magazine, Nov./Dec. 2002), Rex Black describes the major elements of the test estimation process; for example, techniques for compromise between estimate extremes, project management tools to use, how to predict bug find and fix rates, and options to consider when the estimated test time exceeds Management's plan. The best estimation techniques fail, however, if no one considers the factors that influence the team's effort, time, and resources. In this companion piece, the author explains those factors that affect the test effort for good or ill.