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Morris Worm
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- 1This Day in History: The Morris Worm Disrupted the Early Internet▼This Day in History: November 2 — Early Computer Worm Disrupts Internet
On November 2, 1988, the Morris Worm, one of the first computer worms distributed via the internet, infected thousands of computers and disrupted networks across the United States. Created by Robert Tappan Morris, a Cornell University student, it highlighted major security weaknesses and helped launch the field of cybersecurity. Anniversary coverage recalls the incident as a turning point in internet history.
- 2Morris worm anniversary marks a turning point in cybersecurity●On this day in 1988, Robert Tappan Morris launched his worm from MIT's network, and it spread across the young Internet.
On this day in 1988, Robert Tappan Morris released what became known as the Morris worm from MIT's network, and it spread rapidly across the early Internet, disrupting thousands of machines. The incident led to the first felony conviction under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and prompted the creation of the CERT/CC coordination center at Carnegie Mellon University. Commenters marking the anniversary note it as a founding moment for modern cybersecurity.