By Val Saengphaibul | March 15, 2022
A computer virus is one of the few transcendent technical terms everyone understands, including children. Regardless of socioeconomic background and age, the term has an immediate negative connotation. It is usually associated with something destructive to the technology we all rely on, whether it’s a laptop, smartphone, application, or gaming system, demonstrating how ubiquitous computers and technology have become in our daily lives. Part of the reason is that we have all been exposed to the impact of viruses, such as the flu or the common cold. And like its biological counterparts, a computer virus also replicates and can be transmitted from one host to another, creating problems ranging from annoying to downright destructive.
So, in recognition of over 50 years since the first computer virus was discovered, we have decided to provide a brief historical insight into the history of computer malware from the pre-internet era to the current world of botnets, ransomware, viruses, worms, etc.
To start, here is some basic terminology:
- A virus cannot replicate without human interaction, whether clicking a link, opening an attachment, launching an application, or downloading a file.
- A worm does not require human interaction and can replicate on its own, tunnel deep into systems, and move between devices.
- Malware is a generic term that encapsulates all threats—viruses, worms, botnets, ransomware, etc.—anything malicious that is software-related.
It would be impossible to cover all malware and events over the past 50 years in such a short blog post. Instead, we’ve highlighted many of the most notable examples and memorable events of the past 50 years.
