Computer viruses are twenty years old

[icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu]

Computer viruses celebrated their 20th birthday, reports the BBC. On Nov. 
10, 1983, a graduate student at the University of Southern California says 
he developed the first computer virus. Fred Cohen, who was studying for his 
Ph.D., created the virus as an experiment in computer security. Cohen 
acknowledged the damage a computer virus could cause and speculated 
that "viruses can spread through computer networks in the same way as they 
spread through computers, and thus present a widespread and fairly 
immediate threat to many current systems." Today, virus writers use the 
Internet to spread their creations through multiple computer networks, some 
causing chaos and mayhem, others simply wishing you a Happy Towel Day or 
advertising a favorite Web site. Currently, there are more than 60,000 
viruses in existence that affect computer users and media Web sites around 
the world. 

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3257165.stm