When was the first computer virus noted or discovered

The introduction of reliable, speedy broadband networks early in the 21st century changed the way malware was transmitted. No longer confined to floppy disks or company networks, malware was now able to spread very quickly via email, via popular websites or even directly over the Internet.

As a result, modern malware began to take shape. The threat landscape became a mixed environment shared by viruses, worms and Trojans—hence the name "malware" as an umbrella term for malicious software. One of the most serious epidemics of this new era was the LoveLetter, which appeared on May 4, As Securelist notes, it followed the pattern of earlier email viruses of the time, but unlike the macro viruses that had dominated the threat landscape since , it didn't take the form of an infected Word document, but arrived as a VBS file.

It was simple and straightforward, and since users hadn't learned to be suspicious of unsolicited emails, it worked. Since the message often came to new victims from someone familiar, they were more likely to open it, making ILOVEYOU a proof-of-concept for the effectiveness of social engineering.

The Code Red worm was a "file less" worm—it existed only in memory and made no attempt to infect files on the system. Taking advantage of a flaw in the Microsoft Internet Information Server, the fast-replicating worm wreaked havoc by manipulating the protocols that allow computers to communicate and spread globally in just hours.

Eventually, as noted in Scientific American , compromised machines were used to launch a distributed denial of service attack on the Whitehouse. One of the most recent of the major viruses came out in , Heartbleed burst onto the scene and put servers across the Internet at risk. The people behind the Rogueware moved on to more disruptive threats such as Ransomware and most recently Cryptolocker.

In , the CryptoLocker family of Ransomware emerged. Mostly disguised as an email attachment and, the program encrypts targeted files, in turn blocking users from accessing them. The malware displays a message demanding payment via BitCoin or MoneyPak in exchange for the encryption key. If payment was not received by the established deadline, the key would be deleted, leaving the target without access to their data forever.

Contrary to popular belief, traditional antivirus software alone will not fully protect you from threats. Instead, look into full Internet security software suites such as Norton Internet Security.

Not only will it scan your system for viruses, but it will also scan your inbox for potential threats, comes with firewall protection, anti-phishing technology and much more. Even with a full Internet security software suite, there are still more precautions that can be taken. Users should still be wary about any unfamiliar attachments or links via email, as well as social media. Always run system updates, which usually repair security flaws and can protect the computer against a variety of online threats.

Not only should you run the updates for your operating system, you should also update programs such as Java and Flash, as lots of hackers tend to prey on computers with outdated versions of these programs. All rights reserved. Firefox is a trademark of Mozilla Foundation.

App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon. Microsoft and the Window logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U. One of its researchers had created Creeper. Creeper was a worm—a type of computer virus that replicates itself and spreads to other systems. It only displayed its taunting challenge. Following Creeper, which was isolated within the realm of researchers, Elk Cloner was the first virus to be detected in the wild.

Written in by a year-old, it was a boot sector virus that infected Apple II computers. It spread by way of a then- state of the art, removable storage technology—the floppy disk—to become the first major computer virus outbreak. Today we continue to deal with the pesky and often highly destructive antics of increasingly more powerful computer viruses every day.

Consider yourself a cybersecurity history buff? Share your feedback with us on Twitter. Published March 05, Author Tim Matthews. Read about the first computer virus that preceded computer networks, called the Creeper. What Was the First Computer Virus? Information Security. The threat landscape became a mixed environment shared by viruses, worms and Trojans—hence the name "malware" as an umbrella term for malicious software.

One of the most serious epidemics of this new era was the LoveLetter, which appeared on May 4, As Securelist notes, it followed the pattern of earlier email viruses of the time, but unlike the macro viruses that had dominated the threat landscape since , it didn't take the form of an infected Word document, but arrived as a VBS file.

It was simple and straightforward, and since users hadn't learned to be suspicious of unsolicited emails, it worked. Since the message often came to new victims from someone familiar, they were more likely to open it, making ILOVEYOU a proof-of-concept for the effectiveness of social engineering. The Code Red worm was a "file less" worm—it existed only in memory and made no attempt to infect files on the system.

Taking advantage of a flaw in the Microsoft Internet Information Server, the fast-replicating worm wreaked havoc by manipulating the protocols that allow computers to communicate and spread globally in just hours. Eventually, as noted in Scientific American , compromised machines were used to launch a distributed denial of service attack on the Whitehouse. One of the most recent of the major viruses came out in , Heartbleed burst onto the scene and put servers across the Internet at risk.