Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Reflecting on the Internet Worm at 35
Purdue - The Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) ^ | November 02, 2023 | Gene Spafford

Posted on 11/15/2023 6:42:53 AM PST by FarCenter

Thirty-five years ago today (November 2nd), the Internet Worm program was set loose to propagate on the Internet. Noting that now to the computing public (and cybersecurity professionals, specifically) often generates an "Oh, really?" response akin to stating that November 2nd is the anniversary of the inaugural broadcast of the first BBC TV channel (1936), and the launch of Sputnik 2 with Laika aboard (1957). That is, to many, it is ho-hum, ancient history.

Perhaps that is to be expected after 35 years -- approximately the length of a human generation. (As an aside, I have been teaching at Purdue for 36 years. I have already taught students whose parents had taken one of my classes as a student; in five or so years, I may see students whose grandparents took one of my classes!). In 1988, fewer than 100,000 machines were likely connected to the Internet; thus, only a few thousand people were involved in systems administration and security. For us, the events were more profound, but we are outnumbered by today's user population; many of us have retired from the field...and more than a few have passed on. Thus, events of decades ago have become ancient history for current users.

Nonetheless, the event and its aftermath were profound for those who lived through it. No major security incident had ever occurred on such a scale before. The Worm was the top news story in international media for days. The events retold in Cliff Stoll's Cuckoo's Egg were only a few years earlier but had affected far fewer systems. However, that tale of computer espionage heightened concern by authorities in the days following the Worm's deployment regarding its origin and purpose. It seeded significant changes in law enforcement, defense funding and planning, and how we all looked at interconnectivity. In the following years, malware (and especially non-virus malware) became an increasing problem, from Code Red and Nimda to today's botnets and ransomware. All of that eventually led to a boom in add-on security measures, resulting in what is now a multi-billion dollar cybersecurity industry.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cybersecurity; internet; malware; worm
More at the link.
1 posted on 11/15/2023 6:42:53 AM PST by FarCenter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: FarCenter

I was at CISCO when code red hit. People that normally sit in their cubies were running around in a panic. I think someone decided to pull the plug, literally. What a mess.


2 posted on 11/15/2023 6:52:48 AM PST by jdt1138 (Where ever you go, there you are.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Not to be confused with:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web_Worm


3 posted on 11/15/2023 8:12:53 AM PST by Rio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio

LOL. When I first saw the headline I though it was talking about the worm search engine.


4 posted on 11/15/2023 8:30:10 AM PST by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Rio

Yes. Pre Mosaic/html.

The cmm nroff days.


5 posted on 11/15/2023 8:54:16 AM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: FarCenter

I remember this.

I didn’t use my account much. Didn’t affect me, but I remember.


6 posted on 11/15/2023 8:55:22 AM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FarCenter
I read the entire wordy article. For anyone interested in cyber security, there were several nuggets:
• [The] “multi-billion dollar cybersecurity industry is still failing to protect far too many of our systems. Among those lessons...” [detailed list of issues follows]…

• “The first cybersecurity degree program wasn't established until 2000 (at Purdue). We still lack useful metrics to know whether we are making significant progress and titrate investment. And we are still struggling with tools and techniques to create and maintain secure systems. All this while the market (and thus need) is expanding globally...”

• Links to a list of historic publications re computer security


7 posted on 11/15/2023 10:56:11 AM PST by Albion Wilde (Either ‘the Deep State destroys America, or we destroy the Deep State.’ --Donald Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson