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We’re always warning you against phishing, viruses and other nasty software which might harm your PC and data. For a change, let’s look at the history of these nasties. Where do they come from? How long have they been around for? Are they a recent phenomenon?
It seems not. Viruses have been doing the rounds for more than 50 years.
1949 Self-reproducing “cellular automata”
John von Neumann, the father of cybernetics, published a paper suggesting that a computer program could reproduce itself.
1959 Core Wars
H Douglas McIlroy, Victor Vysottsky, and Robert P Morris of Bell Labs developed a computer game called Core Wars, in which programs called organisms competed for computer processing time.
1960 “Rabbit” programs
Programmers began to write placeholders for mainframe computers. If no jobs were waiting, these programs added a copy of themselves to the end of the queue. They were nicknamed “rabbits” because they multiplied, using up system resources.
1971 The first worm
Bob Thomas, a developer working on ARPANET, a precursor to the Internet, wrote a program called Creeper that passed from computer to computer, displaying a message.
1975 Replicating code
A K Dewdney wrote Pervade as a sub-routine for a game run on computers using the UNIVAC 1100 system. When any user played the game, it silently copied the latest version of itself into every accessible directory, including shared directories, consequently spreading throughout the network.
1978 The Vampire worm
John Shoch and Jon Hupp at Xerox PARC began experimenting with worms designed to perform helpful tasks. The Vampire worm was idle during the day, but at night it assigned tasks to under-used computers.
1981 Apple virus
Joe Dellinger, a student at Texas A&M University, modified the operating system on Apple II diskettes so that it would behave as a virus. As the virus had unintended side-effects, it was never released, but further versions were written and allowed to spread.
1982 Apple virus with side effects
Rich Skrenta, a 15-year-old, wrote Elk Cloner for the Apple II operating system. Elk Cloner ran whenever a computer was started from an infected floppy disk, and would infect any other floppy put into the disk drive. It displayed a message every 50 times the computer was started.
1985 Mail Trojan
The EGABTR Trojan horse was distributed via mailboxes, posing as a program designed to improve graphics display. However, once run, it deleted all files on the hard disk and displayed a message.
Take note that information above is an extract from the Sophos Threatsaurus, compiled by Sophos, a security software and hardware company.
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Ons waarsku jou gedurig teen phishing, virusse en ander nare sagteware wat ʼn gevaar is vir jou rekenaar en jou data. Kom ons kyk vir ʼn slag na die geskiedenis van hierdie verskynsels. Waar kom hulle vandaan? Hoe lank verpes hulle al ons lewens? Is dit ʼn onlangse verskynsel?
Tog nie. Virusse bestaan al vir meer as 50 jaar.
1949 Self-kopieërende “sellulêre outomate”
John von Neumann, die vader van kubernetika, publiseer ʼn verhandeling wat beweer dat ʼn rekenaarprogram homself kan kopieer.
1959 Core Wars
H Douglas McIlroy, Victor Vysottsky, en Robert P Morris van Bell Labs ontwikkel ʼn rekenaarprogram genaamd Core Wars, waar programme, wat organismes genoem word, kompeteer vir rekenaarverwerkingstyd.
1960 Rabbit programme
Programmeerders begin plekhouers skryf vir hoofraamrekenaars. As geen take wag nie, het hierdie programme ʼn kopie van hulself by die einde van die ry gelas. Hulle is rabbits genoem omdat hulle vermeerder het en die stelselhulpbronne opgebruik het.
1971 Die eerste wurm
Bob Thomas, ʼn ontwikkelaar by die voorganger van die Internet, ARPANET, skryf Creeper, ʼn program wat aangestuur word van rekenaar tot rekenaar en wat ʼn boodskap vertoon.
1975 Kode wat reproduseer
A K Dewdney skryf Pervade as ʼn sub-roetine vir ʼn speletjie wat op rekenaars loop met die UNIVAC 1100 stelsel. Wanneer enige speler die speletjie speel, kopieer dit stilweg sy nuutste weergawe binne-in elke beskikbare lêergids, insluitende gedeelte gidse. Gevolglik versprei dit regoor die hele netwerk.
1978 Die Vampierwurm
John Shoch en Jon Hupp by Xerox PARC het begin eksperimenteer met wurms wat ontwerp is om te help met take. Die Vampierwurm het bedags geluier, maar snags het dit take toegeken aan rekenaars wat minder gebruik is.
1981 Apple virus
Joe Dellinger, ʼn student by die Texas A&M Universiteit, pas die bedryfstelsel op Apple II diskette aan sodat dit sal optree asof dit ʼn virus het. As die virus onbeplande newe-effekte gehad het, is dit nooit vrygestel nie, maar addisionele weergawes is geskryf en toegelaat om te versprei.
1982 Apple virus met newe-effekte
Rich Skrenta, ʼn 15-jarige, skryf Elk Cloner vir die Apple II bedryfstelsel. Elk Cloner het geloop wanneer ʼn rekenaar aangesit is deur middel van ʼn besmette floppie. Dit het ʼn boodskap vertoon elke 50 keer wanneer die rekenaar aangesit is.
1985 E-pos Trojaan
Die EGABTR Trojaanse virus is versprei deur middel van posbusse deur voor te gee dat dit ʼn program is wat die grafiese beeld verbeter. Wanneer dit egter loop, vee dit alle lêers op die hardeskyf uit en vertoon ʼn boodskap.
Neem kennis dat bostaande inligting ʼn uittreksel is uit die Sophos Threatsaurus, saamgestel deur Sophos, ʼn sekuriteit-sagteware en -hardeware maatskappy.
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Hi Cecille. Happy to hear you found it useful! And thank you for the feedback;)
Hi I found this very fascinating. Thanks for the knowledge share :)