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The History of Cyber Security
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Theoretical Beginnings
The digital computer was first developed in 1943. For many years, it existed in isolation without the interconnecting networks, and cybersecurity threats were nearly non-existent. John von Neumann introduced the idea of self-replicating mechanical organisms, or "viruses," in his 1949 paper, Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata. -
The Dawn of Hacking
Hacking began not with computers but through "phone phreaking," where enthusiasts exploited telecommunication systems to make free calls. Among the most notable of these was the personage of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who, in this community, founded hacking principles that would be applied to digital technology later on. -
Experimentation and Awareness
Computers were large, locked away in secured rooms, hacking as an experiment was born. For example, rewiring of MIT train sets was done in the 1960s. By the late 1960s, students at IBM were running tests that discovered and published vulnerabilities in computer systems. This created the field of ethical hacking. Access to computers required password usage. -
Cyber Security is Born
Of those early days, the ARPANET project debuted in the 1970s, exposing vulnerabilities of interconnected systems. The first computer worm was Creeper from Bob Thomas, which led Ray Tomlinson to design Reaper, considered the first antivirus software. Government initiatives like ARPA's Protection Analysis Project and CIA Triad laid the foundations for modern cybersecurity. In 1979, Kevin Mitnick was arrested as a 16-year-old hacker and was the first such arrest ever to occur for cybercrime. -
1980s: An Escalation of the Threats
The internet's expansion brought significant cybersecurity challenges. Among the key events were:
Marcus Hess cracked 400 military systems to sell the data to the KGB. Commercial antivirus products, such as McAfee VirusScan, began to emerge. Robert Morris' worm attack in 1988 crippled UNIX systems and resulted in the establishment of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).The Orange Book, a U.S. government guide, set standards for the cybersecurity of sensitive software -
Internet Boom and New Threats
The widespread adoption of the internet introduced sophisticated threats like polymorphic and stealth viruses. High-profile attacks, such as the Melissa and ILOVEYOU viruses, disrupted systems globally. The introduction of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) in 1995 enabled secure online transactions, laying the foundation for HTTPS. Cybersecurity became a prominent industry, driven by public and corporate awareness. -
Cybersecurity Takes Center Stage
Hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities without the user having to download files.Hacking collectives,have materialized to conduct mass-scale DDoS attacks. High-profile data breaches, in which 3 billion accounts were affected. State-sponsored attacks, like when North Korea's Lazarus Group hacked Sony in 2014. Advanced cybersecurity solutions using AI, machine learning, multi-factor authentication, and real-time threat intelligence to counter constantly evolving threats.