History of Computer

SecurityThreats

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Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper finds a moth among the relays of a Navy computer and calls it a “bug.” She later creates the term “debugging.”

AT&T starts monitoring toll calls to catch “phone freaks,” or “phreakers,” who obtain free phone calls by the use of tone-producing “blue boxes.” The monitoring ends in 1970, resulting in

Flickr @CarlMalamud

1945

1964

200 convictions.

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John Draper, A.K.A. “Captain Crunch,” discovers that

can be made with the use of a blue box and a plastic toy whistle that comes in Cap’n Crunch cereal boxes. The whistle duplicates a tone to unlock AT&T’s phone network.

1979

1972

The first computer “worm” is created at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center. The program is meant to make computers more e�cient, but later hackers modify worms into computer viruses that destroy or alter data.

free phone calls

2600-hertz

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1983

Fred Cohen, a University of Southern California doctoral student, comes up with term

1987The Alameda, Cascade, Jerusalem, Lehigh, and Miami viruses are created.

The first PC virus, “the Brain,” is created. The Brain, however is not destructive, and the creators included their contact information with it.

contactus for vaccination

1986“computer virus.”

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1990

The first self-modifying viruses are created.

1988A worm is uploaded to ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), the ancestor of the Internet, disabling about

by replicating itself and filling their memory banks. Robert Morris, who created and unleashed the virus out of boredom, received three years’ probation and a

6,000 computers

$10,000 penalty.

XX

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1995Concept, the first Microsoft Word-based virus, spreads worldwide using macro commands. The virus is spread by opening an infected Word document.

2000

Hackers use computers at the University of California-Santa Barbara to crash Amazon, Yahoo, eBay, and other websites by flooding their sites with tra�c.

“Solar Sunrise” occurs when hackers take control of overgovernment, military, and private computer systems. Authorities eventually learn that two California teenagers coordinated the attacks.

500

1998

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by infecting Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000 server software. The virus attempts to use all infected computers to

but the worm’s code is deciphered in time and the attack is blocked.

$2 billion in damage

attack the White House website simultaneously,

The Code Red worm causes

2001

Users of computers infected with PoisonIvy find their computers remotely controlled via the virus. The remote access trojan is used to attack not only personal computers, but chemical and defense companies as well.

2005

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Between computers are infected by the Nyxem virus, which overwrites files on the third of every month. The virus is spread by email attachments and targets files with extensions such as .doc, .xls., .ppt, .zip, .pdf, etc.

469,000 and 1 million

The Storm Worm virus (actually a trojan) is sent to unsuspecting individuals via emails with headlines about a recent European disaster. Within three days of its release the virus accounts for 8% of all infections.

2007

2006

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The Koobface virus spreads through email and social networking sites like Facebook. Once infected, a computer sends its users ads for phony software.

Money is exchanged but products are never delivered.

2009

stealing financial data and passwords, infect millionsThe Conficker (a.k.a Downadup or Kido) worm, best known for

of computers. The complexity and infection rate leads to the assembly of an alliance of experts just to stop the complex virus.

* * *

2008

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Stuxnet, a virus created for industrial and economic attacks, is discovered. The worm targets systems used to run nuclear power plants and water facilities and is so large and complex, estimates suggest it was developed by the U.S. or Israeli governments and

took more than 10 years to develop.

The Ramnit virus is used to steal over

on Facebook. The virus attaches itself to a legitimate file, infects a computer, and runs an invisible browser to connect with a hacker.

45,000 passwords and accounts

2010

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2011

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The Heartbleed bug takes advantage of a flaw in the OpenSSL security software library in order to access passwords, encrypted communications, and other sensitive data. Millions of secure servers are exposed to the virus, which in turn a�ects billions of people.

Between Nov. 27-Dec. 15, the

is stolen when hackers gain access to Targets’ servers. Target discovers the breach on Dec. 13, the event is leaked on Dec. 18, and Target publicly announces it the next day.

personal data of 70 million customers

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2012

2013

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One dozen Russian hackers steal more than

The heist is accomplished using viruses to test and exploit vulnerabilities in websites’ SQL code.

1.2 billion matching passwords and usernames, and over 500 million email address.

2014

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Sources:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50636-2002Jun26.html | http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir/threats/subsubsection3_3_1_1.htmlhttp://mashable.com/2011/03/16/history-of-computer-viruses/ | http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/heartbleed.asphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARPANET | http://www.caida.org/research/security/blackworm/http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/macro-virus-protection-microsoft-o�ce-line-part-onehttp://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/top-ten-most-destructive-computer-viruses-159542266/?no-isthttp://www.informationweek.com/storm-spam-surges-infections-climb/d/d-id/1050968http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/koobface.asp | http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/security/the-real-story-of-stuxnethttp://www.techrepublic.com/blog/it-security/facing-down-the-ramnit-virus-on-facebook-tips-for-protection-and-clean-up/http://www.ibtimes.com/timeline-targets-data-breach-aftermath-how-cybertheft-snowballed-giant-retailer-1580056http://mashable.com/2014/08/05/russian-hacker-passwords/ | http://mashable.com/2011/03/16/history-of-computer-viruses/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/technology/koobface-gang-that-used-facebook-to-spread-worm-operates-in-the-open.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

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