I was at my friendly dentist's office today, getting some fillings replaced, and, as usual, he asked me how my computers are treating me. (Some people talk about their kids - we talk about our electronics.) Of course, I was bubbling over (or was that drooling?) with enthusiasm while letting him know that I am getting a cable modem in two - count 'em, two - days, especially since I know that he's had one for quite a while.
Dr. Allan warned me to set up a firewall. (A firewall is a program that monitors network traffic and attempts to prevent malicious data from crossing from the Internet into the protected computer.) When I replied that I had purchased a router that claims to act as a firewall, he wasn't very impressed. It seems that his firewall logs intrusion attempts, and basically once you are online via a cable modem, your system becomes a target for every Tom, Dick, and Harry who reads the alt.2600 newsgroup.
I think that it is a sad comment on the human condition that even in cyberspace, you have to keep your doors locked and your valuables hidden. I may install one of the free firewalls just to see how frequent the intrusion attempts are.
In another sense, if you look at the viruses and worms as a sort of computer life, the whole thing is kind of neat. These software agents are probing their environment looking for weaknesses they can exploit. It's like an ant wandering seemingly aimlessly until it runs across some food. It then blazes a trail back to the nest so that other ants can benefit as well.
In either case, the harsh reality of the situation is that it will probably pay to be a little paranoid. I don't fancy my computer being turned into a zombie for some fifteen year old hacker's amusement. Thinking about it in terms of ant hills and artificial life doesn't help much, unless it inspires me to make my computer into an ant eater rather than an ant feeder.
You can respond to my ranting here.
Everyone knows a rant can't move a rubber tree plant.