[Baron Munchausen]

Directly connect them and don't properly configure them, you mean....

You have to set your machine up with the right permissions and restrictions or you get 0wned within minutes of going Online. Most people get their broadband and connect with NETBIOS active -- which is designed for LANs, not the Internet! A properly configured system is dramatically harder to infect, especially with third party enhancements like firewalls and anti-virus software.

I've just recently installed a firewall even though I'm on dialup and I get probes to port 445 (NETBIOS) every few minutes even though I'm on a rotating dialup connection! Since I was smart enough to disable my NETBIOS before I went Online this is not a problem for me. But if even dialup lines are under constant probes, imagine how bad it must be on DSL address blocks where the hackers and worms know you have a high-speed line.