January 30, 1982
The first computer virus, known as the Elk Cloner, is created by Richard Skrenta as a joke. It becomes the first known computer virus to spread in the wild outside the lab.
Pittsburgh, United States | N/A
On January 30, 1982, Richard Skrenta, a high school student, created the first personal computer virus known as Elk Cloner. Skrenta designed it as a practical joke for the Apple II operating system, which was popular at the time. Elk Cloner became notable as the first virus to spread “in the wild” beyond the confines of a laboratory setting, affecting personal computers used by the general public.
Richard Skrenta was interested in computers from a young age and enjoyed programming. Prior to Elk Cloner, Skrenta had a reputation among his friends for loading pranks onto floppy disks that would display unexpected messages, causing mild annoyance but no serious harm.
Elk Cloner itself was relatively harmless; it was primarily an exercise in demonstrating the ability to self-replicate. It attached itself to the boot sector of floppy disks, which were the main medium for software installation and data transfer at the time. Once an infected disk was used to boot an Apple II computer, Elk Cloner would silently copy itself to the computer’s memory and subsequently to any other uninfected disks used in that system.
The virus had an amusing payload: every 50th time an infected disk was booted, it would display a brief comedic poem on the screen:
Elk Cloner: The program with a personality
It will get on all your disks
It will infiltrate your chips
Yes, it's Cloner!
It will stick to you like glue
It will modify RAM too
Send in the Cloner!
While Elk Cloner was benign, causing no data loss or system failures, its creation marked the first documented instance of a computer virus spreading outside controlled environments. It highlighted the potential for software to propagate independently and opened the door to future exploration in both creating and defending against more complex and potentially destructive computer viruses.
In retrospect, Skrenta’s prank served as an early warning of the vulnerabilities inherent in computer systems, ultimately encouraging enhancements in software security and virus detection methods as the technology evolved.
Elk Cloner is now recognized as a landmark in cybersecurity history, illustrating the challenges that would come with the burgeoning era of personal computing. It serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilant software development and cybersecurity measures to protect against malicious software.
The story of Elk Cloner provides an intriguing glimpse into the nascent days of computer viruses, capturing both the creativity of early programmers and the unforeseen consequences of the digital age.
Source: en.wikipedia.org