The basics of lightning rod systems - protecting a building with multiple, low-resistance paths between potential strike points and the Earth - have not changed dramatically in two and a half centuries. What have changed are the ways we build: using large amounts of metal, along with increasingly sophisticated electronic equipment, within our buildings. We also now build in previously inaccessible mountains and open fields, increasing the chance of a direct strike.
While building designs and methods have become more complicated, lightning protection systems have evolved with an intricate network of bonding connections and surge suppressors.
Bonding - the connections between lightning cables and nearby metal objects - prevents the lightning from jumping between the many metal objects and systems within a typical building, thereby preventing fires.
Surge suppresors provide a safe path to ground for high voltage charges that enter a building through the wiring systems, thereby preventing damage to electrical and electronic equipment.
All of the "basic" components require proper connection to an effective low-resistance grounding system designed for the existing earth conditions surrounding the protected structure.