The computer's First Virus 🦠

The first widely recognized computer virus is known as the "Creeper" virus. It was written by Bob Thomas in 1971 and ran on the early ARPANET, which was a precursor to the internet. Creeper was not created with malicious intent but was rather an experimental program designed to demonstrate the potential of self-replicating programs.

Here's a brief overview of Creeper and its significance:

- **Name:** Creeper
- **Creator:** Bob Thomas
- **Year:** 1971
- **Platform:** ARPANET (early network developed by the U.S. Department of Defense)
- **Behavior:** Creeper would infect DEC PDP-10 computers running the TENEX operating system. It displayed a message saying "I'm the creeper, catch me if you can!" and would then move between connected computers.
- **Impact:** Creeper did not cause harm in the sense of damaging files or systems, but it demonstrated the concept of self-replicating programs, which laid the foundation for the development of computer viruses and malware in the future.

Creeper was followed by other early viruses and worms in the 1980s, marking the beginning of cybersecurity challenges associated with malicious software.