are "Hack attempts" overrated?

[jasonlambert]

I keep reading about the number of hacking attempts is on the rise, but, in my opinion a lot of "hacking" is just a virus searching for windows boxes with 137-9 & 445 open?

For example, i this story the japanese poilce claim to have see 160,000 attempted hacking attempts:
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20030...dm005000c.html

They even said it them selves that a lot of it was just a "ping", which in iteself is not any form of attack.

So, is it people just dont know the difference, enjoy the hype, or something else?

Jason

[sarumont]

I think that a lot of it is hype because people don't know any better, therefore their afraid. People are afraid of what they don't know about and always will be....therefore most people in the world will forever fear being hacked because they don't know what's actually going on.