Hi!
New to this site and so trying to get a feel for what the atmosphere around here is like. Interest here relates to network security and dealing with hackers, crackers, attacks and counter measures. I am not referring to networking on an enterprise level, just as that of a non-typical home user with his own network (intranet, as it were) with connection/access/webserver to the larger WWW.

Bit of background - Windows2000 systems, patched, fortified and hardened to the point that I am confident that I am at least 95% secure against casual hack attacks - still working on and ever vigilant against new attacks.

Flamers I have no patience for so be forewarned at this point that anyone wanting to get into a useless discussion of 'My OS is better than your OS' - the M$ Sucks crowd, they know who they are - should go demonstrate their immaturity someplace else and not waste my time.

So, yes, I do think that Windows can be and is a stable and secure OS ... properly maintained .... hence the role and function of network administrators, big or small.

Now, what I really want to throw out here in this forum is a couple of questions on the subject of network security. While it is possible to go to numerous sites and find information about security and vulnerabilities and ways to patch and protect computers and networks I have noticed that there is very little information on how to really address the questions about hacking and hackers in particular.

For instance, I have my systems behind a hardware firewall and backed up with a s/w firewall as well. I IP filter to thwart attackers by configuring the OS, the H/W and the S/w, logging traffic so that I have clear evidence of the originating IP addresses ( yes, I know that MAC addresses are the only true way of ever identifying the source ). But if you check online security sites they by and large direct you to search WHOIS for info about the IP address and to contact the appropriate network administrators or service provider ( useless twits! ).

Who really has the time to do all that work, constantly, when we should be demanding that the service providers implement security measures which will monitor and mitigate the level of hack attacks on THEIR networks which affects US, their paying customers?

Why is there no method or means available for uploading log files to a central repository where the activities and possible source of origination of these rogue internet users can be shifted, isolated and blunted through a comprehensive examination of their habits and patterns?

They are, after all, misusing the resources of the corporate networks to carry out their activities - not my network or that of the thousands of users who have gone to great lengths to protect themselves and their computers.

If it is not the responsibilty of the service providers to ensure that their publicly subsidised ( you and I, the consumers ) networks are secure from such activities what am I suppose to do, short of trekking all over the bloody country hunting down and ripping the connections from hacker computers? Thus, the logged file information on hacker activities essentially become meaningless in seriously address the larger problem.

That is the nature of my rant. Comments?