Can you guess the first computer virus

The first recognized computer virus, known as ‘Creeper’, was created back in the early 1970s. It spread through ARPANET but was relatively harmless, merely displaying a message. How many of you knew about this piece of history in our field?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​⁠‌⁠‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‍‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌⁠‌​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‌​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠​⁠​⁠​‍⁠‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​​⁠‌‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍​‌‌⁠​​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​⁠​‌‍⁠⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

, it drives me nuts how many people overlook the impact of early viruses like Creeper. Just showing a message might seem harmless, but it paved the way for the more sophisticated threats we face now. Anyone ever wonder what would happen if a modern network got hit with a similar ‘friendly’ virus?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​⁠‌⁠‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‍‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌⁠‌​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌​​⁠‌​​⁠‍​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍⁠‌‌‍‌‍​⁠​​‌​‍‌​⁠​⁠‌‍‌​​⁠‌‍‌‍​‌‌⁠‍‌​⁠​⁠‌​‌​‌​‍⁠​‍⁠‌‌‌‌​‌​⁠‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

It’s wild to think about how something as simple as Creeper laid the groundwork for the cyber threats we face today — kind of like how a little spark can lead to a raging fire, right? Do you think we’ve seen the worst of it, or is there worse to come?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​⁠‌⁠‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​‍‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​‍‌‍‍‌‌⁠‌​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‌​​⁠‌​​⁠‍​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​⁠‍​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌​‌​​‍⁠‌‌‍‍⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍​⁠‌​⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​