Brief History Of Cyber Security
A brief look at the history of cyber security
The history of cyber security is a story of hackers, code breakers, and governments that have tried to protect their citizens from the dangers of our digital world.
The first major attack on a computer system happened in 1971 at Harvard University. A team of students managed to steal passwords from other students and use them for their own gain. This was the start of a long history of cyber attacks on all types of systems ranging from government to personal computers.
As technology advanced so did the ways people were able to breach security measures put in place by companies and governments alike. The most famous example is probably the Stuxnet virus which was released by a country or countries unknown in 2010 but was later traced back to Israel as well as the United States government who both would benefit from having access to Iran’s nuclear weapons program through this type of attack.
The First Hack in 1997
In 1997, a hacker named Michael Calce broke into the computer system of Lexis-Nexis and accessed the names, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and addresses of thousands of people. He was charged with “racketeering” and “conspiracy to commit fraud.”
Calce’s case was one of the first instances of a cyber attack resulting in charges. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that the first federal law against cyber crimes was passed: The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).
The Birth Of Cyber Security
Cyber security is a relatively new field, but it’s also one of the most important. Cyber security experts work to protect your personal information from being stolen or compromised by hackers. They also help prevent businesses from being hacked and data from being stolen.
If you’ve ever heard of the term “hack,” it’s likely because of the first hack in 1997. The first recorded cyber attack occurred on February 7, 1997 when two teenagers named Mike Jones and David Litchfield broke into a computer at their school in Essex, England.
The two teens were able to gain access to the computer system by using a modem and phone line (this was before Wi-Fi). After they gained access to the system, they were able to modify files and change passwords so that nobody else could access them.
The first major hack happened five years after this incident occurred when an intruder broke into NASA computers and downloaded sensitive information about space shuttle missions. This was one of many incidents that led up to 9/11–and even though we’re still dealing with it today!
Cyber Security Has Come A Long Way
Cyber security has come a long way since the early days of the internet. In 1994, there were just a few million computers connected to the internet. Today, there are over 2 billion devices connected to the internet, and that number keeps growing every day.
It’s no surprise that cyber security is an ever-evolving field—and it requires constant vigilance. We’ve seen many different kinds of attacks over these past two decades: viruses, malware, phishing, and more. And as we’ve learned more about all the ways hackers can infiltrate our systems and steal information or money from us, we’ve also developed better methods for protecting ourselves from them.
One of the most important developments in cyber security has been encryption—a method for ensuring that information sent over the internet is safe from prying eyes who want to steal it or manipulate it for their own gain. Encryption has allowed companies like ours to store customer data safely and securely without worrying about someone stealing it or being able to access it illegally through hacking attempts.
Another major development has been data monitoring—the practice of watching what happens with our company’s data so we can catch any problems before they become too big (or even worse).
