- The first viruses arose from mathematical theories about self-replicating automata.
- Creeper, in 1971, was the first computer virus, followed by the first antivirus, Reaper.
- As technology advanced, viruses evolved from simple codes to massive threats like WannaCry.
Few terms are as emblematic in the field of technology as that of computer virusesThese annoying little pieces of software have evolved along with computers, going from being simple academic demonstrations to becoming a serious problem. threat for users, businesses and governments.
The purpose of this article is to review the history of computer viruses, from their humble beginnings as mathematical curiosities to their current role as weapons of cybercrime, breaking down their most important milestones and analyzing how they have changed the landscape of technology and cybersecurity.
Theoretical beginnings: The scientific basis of viruses
The idea of a computer virus has its roots in the 1940s. The mathematician John von Neumann He was the first to theorize about self-replicating automata, that is, programs capable of duplicating and propagating themselves. In his work "Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata", published in 1966, raised the possibility that a program could infect other systems, similar to the behavior of biological viruses.
Later, in 1959, at Bell Laboratories, a curious game called Darwin. This consisted of programs that competed against each other for space in a computer's memory. Although these experiments did not have malicious purposes, they were a prelude to what would become the first real viruses.
The birth of the first virus: Creeper and Reaper
The first virus in history was developed in 1971 by Bob Thomas, an engineer at BBN Technologies. Dubbed Creeper, this program had the sole purpose of replicating itself and displaying the message on the screen of infected systems: “I'm Creeper, catch me if you can!Although it did no harm, it laid the groundwork for malware as we know it today.
To counter Creeper, the first antivirus in history was created called ReaperThis program was specifically tasked with tracking and removing Creeper, marking the beginning of a long battle between viruses and protection tools.
The rise of Trojans and PC viruses
In the 70s and 80s, viruses began to evolve into more complex forms. One of the first examples was the Trojan ANIMAL, developed in 1975 by John Walker. This program, disguised as an innocent guessing game, included a components hidden virus called PREVADE, which managed to replicate the Trojan in the infected system directories.
In 1986, brothers Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi created Brain, the first virus designed specifically for PCs. This malware attacked boot disks, slowing down systems and tracking infected devices. Although it was not particularly harmful, its creation marked a new era in the propagation massive virus outbreak.
The first mass attacks
With the growing popularity of personal computers, viruses began to wreak havoc on a large scale. In 1988, the worm Morris infected about 10% of the systems connected to ARPANET, the precursor network of the Internet. This attack demonstrated for the first time the destructive potential of malware on interconnected networks.
In the late 80s, it appeared Vienna, a virus that damaged files on computers running the DOS operating system. Shortly afterward, in 1992, the virus Michelangelo It caused global panic when it was activated on March 6, destroying data on infected systems.
The rise of ransomware and other threats
In 1989, the AIDS Trojan became the first example of ransomware, a type of malware that restricts access to a user's data until a ransom is paid. It was developed by Joseph Popp, who demanded $189 to unlock affected systems.
The 90s brought new threats, such as polymorphic viruses, capable of changing their code to evade antivirus, and macroviruses such as WinWord Concept, which infected Microsoft Word documents.
The impact of viruses in the 21st century
The beginning of the new millennium was marked by attacks that took advantage of the expansion of email. Cases such as I Love You y Melissa affected millions of users worldwide, spreading rapidly through infected attachments.
In 2004, the virus MyDoom The attack reached an unprecedented speed of propagation, infecting between 16% and 25% of emails worldwide. This attack generated economic losses estimated at 40.000 million.
Modern threats
In recent years, threats such as Conficker y WannaCry have put companies and institutions at a global level in check. WannaCry, for example, launched a massive attack in 2017, affecting more than 141.000 sets worldwide, including hospitals and critical businesses.
In addition, vulnerabilities such as heartbleed have shown that not only viruses pose a threat, but also failures in widely used security tools.
Throughout history, viruses have evolved from academic curiosities to a full-scale criminal industry. Their evolution has driven significant advances in cybersecurity, but has also highlighted the need to remain vigilant. From Creeper to WannaCry, these programs have proven to be both a threat and a challenge to humanity.
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