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Last time we explored the more unknown viruses, Trojans and worms, up to 1985. Now we start off in 1986, where most histories do, with the first PC virus.
1986 The first virus for PCs
The first virus for IBM PCs, Brain, was allegedly written by two brothers in Pakistan, when they noticed that people were copying their software. The virus put a copy of itself and a copyright message on any floppy disk copies their customers made.
1987 The Christmas tree worm
This was an email Christmas card that included program code. If the user ran it, it drew a Christmas tree as promised, but also forwarded itself to everyone in the user’s address book. The traffic paralyzed the IBM worldwide network.
1988 The Internet Worm
Robert Morris, a 23-year-old student, released a worm on the US DARPA Internet. It spread to thousands of computers and, due to an error, kept re-infecting computers many times, causing them to crash.
1989 Trojan demands ransom
The AIDS Trojan horse came on a floppy disk that offered information about AIDS and HIV. The Trojan encrypted the computer’s hard disk and demanded payment in exchange for the password.
1991 The first polymorphic virus
Tequila was the first widespread polymorphic virus. Polymorphic viruses make detection difficult for virus scanners by changing their appearance with each new infection.
1992 The Michelangelo panic
The Michelangelo virus was designed to erase computer hard disks each year on March 6 (Michelangelo’s birthday). After two companies accidentally distributed infected disks and PCs, there was worldwide panic, but few computers were infected.
1994 The first email virus hoax
The first email hoax warned of a malicious virus that would erase an entire hard drive just by opening an email with the subject line “Good Times.”
1995 The first document virus
The first document or “macro” virus, Concept, appeared. It spread by exploiting the macros in Microsoft Word.
1998 The first virus to affect hardware
CIH or Chernobyl became the first virus to paralyze computer hardware. The virus attacked the BIOS, which is needed to boot up the computer.
1999 Email viruses
Melissa, a virus that forwards itself by email, spread worldwide. Bubbleboy, the first virus to infect a computer when email is viewed, appeared.
2000 Denial-of-service attacks
“Distributed denial-of-service” attacks by hackers put Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon and other high profile websites offline for several hours. Love Bug became the most successful email virus yet.
2000 Palm virus
The first virus appeared for the Palm operating system, although no users were infected.
2001 Viruses spread via websites or network shares
Malicious programs began to exploit vulnerabilities in software, so that they could spread without user intervention. Nimda infected users who simply browsed a website. Sircam used its own email program to spread, and also spread via network shares.
If this history timeline hasn’t satisfied your curiosity, the recently launched Malware Museum might peak your interest.
Take note that information below is an extract from the Sophos Threatsaurus, compiled by Sophos, a security software and hardware company.
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Verlede keer het ons meer te wete gekom oor die geskiedenis van ouer, onbekende virusse, Trojane en wurms vóór 1985. Dié keer begin ons in 1985 met die eerste PC virus.
1986 Die eerste virus vir PCs
Die eerste virus vir IBM PCs, Brain, is geskryf deur twee broers in Pakistan, toe hulle opgemerk het dat hul sagteware gekopieer word. Die virus vermeerder homself en plaas `n kopiereg boodskap op enige floppieskyf kopieë wat kliënte maak.
1987 Die Kersfeesboomwurm
Hierdie was `n Kersfeeskaartjie e-pos wat programkode ingesluit het. As die gebruiker dit aktiveer het, het dit, soos verwag, `n Kersfeesboom geteken, maar dit ook aangestuur aan almal in die se adresboek. Die Kersfeesboomwurm se verkeer het die hele IBM netwerk wêreldwye lamgelê.
1988 Die Internetwurm
23-jarige student, Robert Morris, laat, per ongeluk,`n wurm op die US DARPA Internet los. Dit versprei na duisende rekenaars en gaan voort om rekenaars telkens te besmet en ineen te laat stort.
1989 Trojaanse virus eis `n losprys
Die AIDS Trojaan is op `n floppieskyf, wat inligting bied oor AIDS en HIV, versprei. Die Trojaanse virus het die rekenaar se hardeskyf enkripteer en betaling vereis in ruil vir die wagwoord.
1991 Die eerste polimorfiese virus
Tequila was die eerste wydverspreide polimorfiese virus. Polimorfiese virusse verander hulle voorkoms met elke nuwe infeksie en maak dit dus besonder moeilik om op te spoor.
1992 Die Michelangelo bohaai
Die Michelangelo virus is ontwerp om elke jaar op Michelangelo se verjaardag (6 Maart) rekenaars se hardeskywe uit te vee. Nadat twee maatskappye per ongeluk besmette diskette versprei het, was daar wêreldwye paniek, maar min rekenaars is werklik aangetas.
1994 Die eerste e-pos virus kullery
Die eerste e-pos kullery het gedreig dat `n vyandige virus jou hele hardeskyf sou uitvee as jy `n e-pos met die onderwerp “Good Times” oopmaak.
1995 Die eerste dokument virus
Die eerste dokument of makro-virus, Concept, verskyn en word versprei deur die misbruik van makros in Microsoft Word.
1998 Die eerste virus wat hardeware beïnvloed het
CIH of Chernobyl het die eerste virus geword wat rekenaarhardeware buite aksie gelaat het. Die virus het die BIOS, wat nodig is om die rekenaar aan die gang te kry, aangeval.
1999 E-pos virusse
Melissa, `n virus wat homself versprei deur middel van e-pos, het wêreldwyd versprei. Bubbleboy, die eerste virus wat versprei wanneer `n e-pos slegs besigtig word, maak sy opwagting.
2000 Denial-of-service aanvalle
Distributed denial-of-service-aanvalle deur kuberkrakers het Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon en ander hoë-profiel webwerwe onbruikbaar gelaat vir etlike ure. Love Bug word die mees suksesvolle e-pos virus ooit.
2000 Palm virus
Die eerste virus vir die Palm-bedryfstelsel is ontwikkel, maar geen gebruikers is aangetas nie.
2001 Virusse versprei via webwerwe of netwerkdeelspasies
Vyandige programme begin om swakplekke in sagteware te misbruik sodat dit kan versprei sonder die hulp van `n gebruiker. Nimda besmet gebruikers as hulle `n webwerf besoek en Sircam gebruik sy eie e-posprogram en netwerkdeelspasies om te versprei.
As jy nog nie genoeg gehad het van virusse en die magdom sekuriteitsrisikos nie, sal die Malware Museum dalk jou nuuskierigheid tevrede stel.
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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Trojans are malicious programmes pretending to be legitimate software, but they actually carry out hidden, harmful functions.