The first ever computer virus predates what you think is the first virus. Many people, including myself, thought “BRAIN” was the first computer virus in 1986. The first ever computer virus was written in 1971 by Bob Thomas (Source – “Creeper: The World’s First Computer Virus“).
The First Ever Computer Virus Was Called Creeper
The Creeper virus was the first computer virus ever created and was written in 1971 by Bob Thomas. The virus was a simple proof-of-concept program designed to spread itself from one computer system to another, replicating its code and propagating itself across a network, much like the infections we know about today. The virus would infect a system, display a message saying “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!” on the screen, and then infect other systems. The Creeper virus was relatively harmless, as it did not cause any damage to infected systems or data. Still, it marked the beginning of the modern era of computer viruses and helped to raise awareness of the potential security threats posed by malicious software.
The Creeper virus was written for the ARPANET
ARPANET was an early version of the internet, and Creeper was designed to spread via the network from one computer to another. At the time, the impact of this spread was not as significant as it is today. ARPANET was universities and libraries; there was no “home internet” like we know it today.
Conclusion
The Creeper virus is an essential part of the history of computer security and serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for vigilance and caution regarding online security. Ransomware and other such infections don’t spread in some new novel way; this is how computer viruses have spread from day one.