Your colonies should be capable of defending themselves without your help, if you installed maxed turrets and the uberkillsatellite on them. Your homeworld, with maxed turrets on 10 cities, should be capable of handling itself from the beginning of the game: If it's just your homeworld being attacked, just ignore the message.
What do you mean by maxed turrets? I have a turret in each slot, but I don't know if there's a way to upgrade them. I've never seen an uberkillsatellite.
If you are not even at WAR with anyone, the attackers will always be worthless pirates, who cannot actually harm a defended colony anyway. If you're at WAR with anyone, the attackers could be your enemy (the colony UNHELPFULLY REFUSES TO IDENTIFY THEM), but if they are pirates, you can just ignore them as pirates will never take the colony, and cannot even effectively attack a single city with maxed turrets on it, and if they are serious enemies, do not let them distract you from burning their nests, because if you abandon your offensive, it will never end.
Ah, I was going to ask if there was a way of finding out who the little sods were. I'm not altogether sure if I'm at war or not. I still have only a proton beam, I haven't seen any bigger weapons for sale, so I can't go killing anything yet.
Also, #grah moar! You will learn the most if you attend the live war college of #grah.
Play moar, #grah moar, life is full of tough decisions.
The bloody galaxy is full of Buttolinos telling me to stay off their lawn and Chelonians who think they are too good for me.