Part 1: The Intersection of Faith, Ethics, and IT
In the early days of computing, particularly throughout the 1980s and into the late 1990s, many computer viruses were not engineered for malicious destruction or data theft as they are today. Instead, they functioned as a form of “digital graffiti.” These programs were often crafted by “script kiddies” (individuals with limited technical expertise who leverage pre-written scripts and attack tools developed by others to execute cyberattacks) to display messages, seek attention, impress peers, engage in mischief, or experiencing the thrill of disruption. These early threats often served as proof-of-concept demonstrations or personal signatures from their creators, rather than tools for financial espionage.
For example, in the beginning there was the Creeper Virus. Does anyone recall this one? Some of us, like me, weren’t even alive when it was created in 1971. The Creeper Virus is arguably believed to be the first computer virus. It caused no damage, extorted no money and was created as an experiment to simply find out if replication, jumping from computer to computer, was possible. When executed it displayed the message: “I’M THE CREEPER: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.”
[this message was inspired by the Scooby Doo villain: The Creeper]
Following suit, the widely debated first-ever antivirus software, a program called The Reaper, was created and was also specifically developed to jump hosts to track down and automatically delete the Creeper program from infected systems. Since it contained all the same virus-like traits of the “The Creeper”, there’s still a debate whether it should be treated as the first AV software or the 2nd computer virus.
A more recent example is the Melissa Virus. Does anyone remember it? The Melissa virus of 1999 fundamentally transformed the cybersecurity industry by exposing how rapidly a single computer virus could disrupt global infrastructure. Like the Creeper and others before it, the virus was not designed to steal money, personal information, or destroy hard drive data. David Smith was its creator and while he denied all media interview requests, through released court-room statements, David testified that Melissa was created as a “harmless joke” and that he had “no idea” it would have such a massive impact.
During this (emerging) anti-virus period of time, whenever I would be interviewed regarding the latest virus threat, whether it was by high-profiled outlets like ABC World News with Peter Jennings or more industry specific channels like WIRED magazine or by local newspaper journalists, almost without fail, the interviewer would end the conversation, sarcastically asking or playfully joking, “aren’t companies like yours secretly creating these viruses, because these threats help your business?”
Over time, the underlining motives of malware creation have undergone a significant and obvious transformation, and I no longer get asked that same question. What began as relatively misguided experiment evolved into a commercialized and increasingly destructive enterprise, with objectives shifting toward data theft, ransomware extortion, political agendas and full-blown white-collar crime. In the current landscape, the evident bumper sticker appearance of early malware has largely disappeared, as threat actors prioritize stealth to maximize profitability.
So, what has changed in computer security?
I feel this is where we find ‘The Intersection of Faith, Ethics, and IT’ in the Cyber Security World.
Stay Tuned for Part 2 of ‘The Intersection of Faith, Ethics, and IT.
Trust us to protect you.
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