The first computer virus was created as an experiment
In 1983, computer science student Fred Cohen developed the world's first computer virus as a controlled experiment, demonstrating the power of self-replicating code and laying the groundwork for cybersecurity.
In 1983, Fred Cohen, a University of Southern California graduate student, created the first computer virus. This wasn't malicious; it was a proof-of-concept for his doctoral research on computer security. He designed a simple program that could infect other files on a VAX-11/780 minicomputer, replicating itself when those programs ran.
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