The Morris Worm goes down in history as the first worm in existence. This self repeating computer program that was written by Robert Tappan Morris, a student at Cornell University, and released from MIT on November 2, 1988. According to the creator of the worm, Morris, the intention of the program was to gauge the size of the internet at the time, although it unintentionally caused a Denial of Service (DoS) for nearly 10% of the 60,000 machines connected to the internet at the time.
The program created by Robert Morris created a bit of a stir, resulting in a Supreme Court Case. The United States v. Morris (1991) case resulted in Morris being convicted under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, with Morris receiving a sentence of three years in prison, 400 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine.
The Morris worm was the first self-replicating malicious software witnessed online. Since then there have been dozens of similar events that costs millions and sometimes billions of dollars in damages. As a business owner, make sure your company’s cybersecurity program includes the following protections:
Related Terms: ILOVEYOU Virus, Melissa Virus, SQL Slammer Virus
Source: Radware
Discover and share the latest cybersecurity trends, tips and best practices – alongside new threats to watch out for.
As smart homes get smarter, so do their habits of watching, sensing, and reporting. Enter WiFi Motion Detection, a...
Read moreSpoiler alert: If you’re still using “password123” or “iloveyou” for your login… it’s time for an...
Read moreGet sharper eyes on human risks, with the positive approach that beats traditional phish testing.