TheHistoryOf.net

These days, just about everyone that uses a computer knows about the dangers of computer viruses. These nasty little programs can wipe out your hard drive just by being embedded in an email you receive and preview orread. So we all take precautions by having anti-virus software of some sort in our computers to fight off any invaders. But do you know where anti-virus software came from? Let’s take a look.

While there is some contention about who actually made thefirst overtly harmful computer virus, it is fairly well accepted (though sometimes challenged) that Bernd Fix developed the first anti-virus software in 1987. Fix, a German astrophysicist and amateur computer programmer (at the time), developed software to combat the first computer virus “in the wild,”which means that the virus had escaped the confines of the lab or network in which it was created (which was only done via floppy disk at that time).

A year later, Fred Cohen (who was the first to author a paper years earlier about computer viruses) began to develop anti-virus software that was picked up by developers. At the same time, there was amailing list on the BITNET/EARN network (a precursor to the Internet) that dealt with the possibilities of computer viruses and how to combat them. Eugene Kaspersky (creator of Kaspersky Anti-Virus) and John McAfee (who later went onto create McAfee Anti-Virus) were both members of this mailing list.

During these times, the only way you could usually get a computer virus was by inserting an infected floppy disk into your computer. With the advent of the Internet, however, all bets were off. Now computer viruses had an easy way to get into millions of computers at once. The easiest way for a computer to get infected was via an email attachment. By virtue of simply clicking on an infected attachment, you were giving the virus full access to your computer. As computers got more advanced, so too did viruses. No longer did you have to open an attachment; all you had to do was open the email. Then, you didn’t even have to open the email; all you had to do was read it in your preview panel to get infected. Then there were the malicious websites that could upload viruses to your computer if you visited them.

As if all that wasn’t bad enough, now we know that computer viruses can not only simply wreak havoc on your machine; they can also steal valuable personal information that could have long-term detrimental effects on your life and livelihood. So it behooves you to get protected. If you haven’t already, invest in a good anti-virus product from a company that you know and trust. Accept no imitators when it comes to anti-virus software. It may be a little more costly, but it is worth it. You can look online for a Norton 360 4.0 premier coupon to help offset the cost. Another good idea is to back up your system and you can look for Norton ghost coupons to help with that cost as well.

About The Author

Steven Papas lives in Athens with his wife Elena, where he enjoys his favorite hobby of windsurfing. His goal for this site is to make visitors understand the need to back up their files through online storage services and secure their online activity using reliable antivirus software. Steven’s goal is to deliver the latest computer software-related news to web surfers around the world. Here you will find a variety of content, from reviews of new software and electronic gadgets to “how to” articles. If you need help to decide what online backup software is good for you or are just looking for information on how to protect your computer from spyware and viruses, you will definitely like this blog. Here you’ll find coupons for Symantec products, presentations and reviews for many antivirus, Internet security, and PC-tuning products, as well as parental control and online backup software.