A short history of computer viruses
- 15 hours ago
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Updated: 11 hours ago
A short history of computer viruses
Computer viruses have been prevalent for quite some time, with nearly all of them disseminated via the Internet or its predecessors. Most viruses are crafted to steal users' information, exploit processing power, or completely disable systems.
The first computer virus, known as "Creeper system", was an experimental self-replicating virus released in 1971. It filled up the hard drive until the computer could no longer function. This virus was created by BBN Technologies in the United States.
The inaugural computer virus for MS-DOS was "Brain", released in 1986. It overwrote the boot sector on floppy disks, preventing the computer from booting. It was developed by two brothers from Pakistan as a form of copy protection.
"The Morris" was the first computer virus to extensively spread in the wild in 1988. Written by Robert Morris, a graduate student from Cornell University, it was intended to measure the size of the internet. Exploiting security vulnerabilities in sendmail and other Unix applications, as well as weak passwords, a programming error caused it to spread rapidly, interfering with normal computer operations. It infected approximately 15,000 computers in 15 hours, which constituted most of the internet at that time.
Since then, numerous new viruses have emerged, with the trend growing exponentially each year.
Infamous Viruses of the Digital Age
Below are some of the most well-known or significant viruses that have evolved alongside the role of information technology in society:
In 1991, the "Michelangelo" virus was first identified in Australia. It remained dormant until March 6 each year, then overwrote the first hundred sectors on storage devices with zeros, preventing the computer from booting. Only 20,000 computers were reported infected.
In 1998, CIH was released, infecting around 60 million computers and causing significant damage by overwriting crucial system files. It was created by a Taiwanese student.
In 1999, "Melissa" emerged as the first widespread Word Macro Virus. Distributed via email, it automatically sent itself to the first 50 contacts in the Outlook address book. While it didn't harm the computer, it sent out passwords for certain membership-required erotic websites, causing excessive email traffic and server crashes.
The year 2000 saw the emergence of "iloveyou". Like its predecessors, it spread via email, sending itself to all contacts and overwriting office, image, and audio files. Originating from the Philippines, it infected over 50 million computers in less than 10 days, prompting many companies to shut down their email servers to prevent further spread.
Since 2000, so many new viruses have been unleashed globally that listing the most infamous ones is challenging. Notable examples include "Anna Kournikova", Code Red, Nimba, Beast, SQL Slammer, Blaster, Sobig, Sober, MyDoom, Netsky, Zeus, Conficker, Stuxnet, CryptoLocker, Locky, Mirai, and WannaCry.
Evolution of the Cybersecurity Threat
In 2013, a new form of ransomware began with the CryptoLocker virus. Numerous versions have since emerged, including Locky and WannaCry, as well as Petya (not the latest version). The original CryptoLocker virus infected about half a million computers. Some clones, such as TorrentLocker or CryptoWall, specifically targeted computers in Australia.
This year witnessed rapid virus attacks: WannaCry and NotPetya. Both exploited a security vulnerability within the protocol Windows uses for network file access (SMB).
This vulnerability, called EternalBlue, was exposed by a hacker group named "Shadow Brokers", who stole it from the US National Security Agency (NSA). Although Microsoft released a patch for this vulnerability in March 2017, numerous systems worldwide, based on outdated or unsupported software or lacking the latest updates, allowed WannaCry to establish a strong presence via a phishing email attack. WannaCry infected approximately 200,000 computers across 150 countries before the "Kill switch" was discovered, halting further spread.
More recently, NotPetya exploited the same security vulnerability. Unlike its predecessors, it wasn't delivered through email, limiting its reach. Initially thought to be an upgraded version of Petya, a CryptoLocker-type ransomware, NotPetya was actually distributed as an update to a Ukrainian tax accounting software called MeDoc. From there, it spread through the internal networks of multinational companies with offices in Ukraine, encrypting all files on a computer and the master file table of a hard drive, preventing booting. NotPetya's rudimentary payment system, compared to other ransomware types, led to the consensus that the Petya aspect was merely a decoy, rendering file recovery impossible.
Protecting Yourself Against the Unknown
As new viruses are released, antivirus software developers implement new tools to combat them. It is an ongoing cat-and-mouse game.
Most ransomware-type viruses cannot be detected with traditional antivirus software, prompting cybersecurity companies to adopt behavior monitoring for detection. Nonetheless, it is only a matter of time before a new virus circumvents each new detection method, restarting the cycle.
In an ever-evolving threat landscape, consistent vigilance remains the best defense against phishing emails and fraudulent websites, the most common infection vectors:
Do not open emails or attachments unless you are completely certain of their legitimacy.
Avoid clicking on links in emails or attachments unless you expect to receive them. Email accounts can be spoofed or hacked, so although a message may appear to originate from a legitimate source, if its content is unexpected, it may not be trustworthy.
Keep your computer updated with the latest software updates and security patches.
Check for spelling or grammar errors, including in website URLs and email bodies. For instance, mistaking ofice.com for Microsoft's office.com may lead you to a known malware site.
Report any suspicious emails or unusual system behavior promptly.
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