40th anniversary of the computer virus
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- 3StarLounger
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40th anniversary of the computer virus
No cake or party for this anniversary: http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=1668
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
The first 'real' computer virus that I remember on a proper PC was Brain in 1986.
In those days you could get fired for having a virus on your PC (because you had done something naughty...!)
In those days you could get fired for having a virus on your PC (because you had done something naughty...!)
John Gray
"(or one of the team)" - how your hospital appointment letter indicates that you won't be seeing the Consultant...
"(or one of the team)" - how your hospital appointment letter indicates that you won't be seeing the Consultant...
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
The first one that I encountered was the Ping Pong virus, in 1988.
Best wishes,
Hans
Hans
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
The first virus that I encountered was actually a worm. This was before PCs were invented and it circulated within my employer's private network. A team of security consultants spent a weekend creating a counter-worm that used the same mechanism to spread round the network and inoculate any system that it downloaded to.
StuartR
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- UraniumLounger
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
The PC by IBM was introduced in August or 1981. There were other manufacturers who preceded them in the marketplace. That means that the worm Stuart encountered was more than 30 years ago.StuartR wrote:The first virus that I encountered was actually a worm. This was before PCs were invented and it circulated within my employer's private network. A team of security consultants spent a weekend creating a counter-worm that used the same mechanism to spread round the network and inoculate any system that it downloaded to.
As an old IBM mainframe guy who had about 1500 terminals under CICS on his network, I'm curious to know what type of network had the worm before the PC.
Bob's yer Uncle
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
This worm infected VMS systems on the Digital Equipment Corporation internal network. This was a DECnet network, not TCP/IP. The worm relied on the fact that people didn't change the default password on various system accounts.BobH wrote:...I'm curious to know what type of network had the worm before the PC.
StuartR
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- 5StarLounger
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
But of course Elk Cloner, on the Apple ][, preceded that one by four years - but you are taking about virus that you remember! Ironic, because there are very few (if any) viruses for the Mac OS now. (A couple of worms and a few trojans though )John Gray wrote:The first 'real' computer virus that I remember on a proper PC was Brain in 1986.
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- PlutoniumLounger
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
This sounds like the story recounted in Clifford Stoll's "The Cuckoo's Egg" copyright 1989, and probably a year old then.StuartR wrote:This worm infected VMS systems ... people didn't change the default password ...
(later)
Microsoft helps U.S. police cripple spam email network
He who plants a seed, plants life.
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
No, this event was much earlier, before we had the Internet, and the perpetrator was an employee who was stupid rather than malicious.ChrisGreaves wrote:...This sounds like the story recounted in Clifford Stoll's "The Cuckoo's Egg" copyright 1989, and probably a year old then...
StuartR
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
I did talk about a 'proper' PC...!Bowlie wrote:But of course Elk Cloner, on the Apple ][, preceded that one by four years - but you are taking about virus that you remember! Ironic, because there are very few (if any) viruses for the Mac OS now. (A couple of worms and a few trojans though )John Gray wrote:The first 'real' computer virus that I remember on a proper PC was Brain in 1986.
John Gray
"(or one of the team)" - how your hospital appointment letter indicates that you won't be seeing the Consultant...
"(or one of the team)" - how your hospital appointment letter indicates that you won't be seeing the Consultant...
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- 5StarLounger
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
I did notice that comment, but you were obviously preferring to a Sinclair, a Commodore 64 or a Radio Shake TRS-80, not one of the original proper PC's like the Apple ][John Gray wrote:I did talk about a 'proper' PC...!Bowlie wrote:But of course Elk Cloner, on the Apple ][, preceded that one by four years - but you are taking about virus that you remember! Ironic, because there are very few (if any) viruses for the Mac OS now. (A couple of worms and a few trojans though )John Gray wrote:The first 'real' computer virus that I remember on a proper PC was Brain in 1986.
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
Coincidentally, one of my ex colleagues told me this week that Digital Equipment Corporation registered the domain name DEC.COM in September 1985. It was the 5th domain name to be registered.
StuartR
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- PlatinumLounger
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Re: 40th anniversary of the computer virus
Hmmm, my old stompin' ground was number 11.