You are now entering the Jewish Currents archive.
November 10: The First Computer Virus
A PhD student at the University of Southern California, Fred Cohen, demonstrated the workings of the world’s first documented computer virus on this date in 1983. In his paper, Cohen defined the virus he had created as “a program that can ‘infect’ other programs by modifying them to include a . . . version of itself.” His was added to a graphics program called “VD” (no pun intended). Cohen credits the use of the term “virus” to an associate, Len Adleman.
“It was expected that the attack would be successful, but the very short takeover times were quite surprising. In addition, the virus was fast enough (under 1/2 second) that the delay to infected programs went unnoticed.” —Fred Cohen
I’m Arielle Angel, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents. Before you go, there’s something I need to ask.
We’ve seen over and over how the mainstream media falters in telling stories on our beats—whether it’s antisemitism, Israel/Palestine in American politics, Jewish identity, or the American left. At Jewish Currents we’re committed to uncompromising analysis and longform reporting on these issues and more—stories you won’t find anywhere else. In a media landscape that obscures injustice and flattens discussion, we’re changing the conversation. But we need you.
If you believe in this work, please consider making a donation—or even better, a recurring one—to ensure that we are able to keep publishing stories like this one. We can’t do it without you.
