IMPACTFUL VIRUSES IN HISTORY: MORRIS WORM

Megan Poljacik • September 27, 2024

In the history of cybersecurity, few events have had as big an impact as the Morris Worm outbreak in November 1988. Known as one of the first major worms to spread widely across the early internet, the Morris Worm highlighted the weaknesses of connected systems and emphasized the need for strong cybersecurity practices that are still important today.



The Morris Worm was created by Robert Tappan Morris, a graduate student at Cornell University. On November 2, 1988, Morris released the worm onto the internet from a computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His intention, as he later claimed, was to gauge the size of the internet. However, due to a design flaw, the worm replicated much more aggressively than expected.

Unlike viruses that require a user to execute a file, worms have the unique ability to reproduce themselves across networks without intervention. The Morris Worm exploited known vulnerabilities in Unix-based systems, specifically targeting sendmail, finger, and rsh/rexec processes, all of which control various network communication protocols. Once it infected a system, it would attempt to replicate itself to other machines, leading to a rapid spread that overwhelmed networks and drove systems to a halt. hours, approximately 6,000 machines, accounting for about 10% of the internet at the time, were infected. The worm’s rapid replication caused major slowdowns and system crashes, disrupting machines at universities, military sites, and research facilities. The financial impact of the outbreak was estimated to be between $100,000 and $10 million, a substantial sum in the late 1980s!


Since nothing of this threat type had been seen before, system administrators and researchers scrambled to understand the worm’s code, develop patches, and fix affected systems. The event was certainly eye opening for the computer community and spurred a wider conversation about the need for better security measures across the board. This lead to the creation of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) by DARPA.  


Robert Tappan Morris faced legal repercussions for his actions. In 1990, he was convicted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, becoming the first person prosecuted under this law. He was sentenced to three years of probation, 400 hours of community service, and fined $10,050. Despite this, Morris went on to have a successful career, co-founding the company Y Combinator, which helps start up companies gain funding.



The influence of the Morris Worm goes far beyond its immediate impact. It served as a wake-up call, highlighting the vulnerabilities of connected systems and the potential for widespread disruption. It also proved the importance of responsible coding practices and the need for comprehensive cybersecurity measures.

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IMPACTFUL VIRUSES IN HISTORY: STUXNET

By Megan Poljacik • July 31, 2025
In the early 2000s, tensions in the middle east were on the rise. Iran’s government had begun expanding its uranium enrichment capabilities, insisting it was for nuclear energy purposes. However many countries around the globe feared it was a coverup for a nuclear weapons program. Despite pressure from United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran continued to enrich uranium. Frustrations reached a fever pitch and it appeared a conflict was imminent, until a mysterious solution came from a completely unexpected source: the Stuxnet Computer Worm.

DARK WEB MONITORING: ESSENTIAL SAFEGUARD OR WASTED SPEND?

By Megan Poljacik • June 26, 2025
With growing concerns about data breaches and stolen credentials, many businesses feel pressured to invest in services that claim to scan the dark web for leaked information. But before committing resources, it's worth asking whether these tools actually provide meaningful information or if they are an unproductive expenditure. The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that you can’t reach with standard browsers or search engines. It operates using a system called Tor, which stands for The Onion Router. Tor keeps users anonymous by sending their internet traffic through several different servers around the world, encrypting the data each time. This makes it extremely difficult to trace who someone is or where they’re connecting from. Unlike regular websites that end in .com or .org, dark web sites usually end in .onion and require the Tor browser to access them. While some people use the dark web for legitimate reasons like protecting their privacy or avoiding censorship, it’s mostly associated with hosting illegal activities like online black markets, where stolen corporate data is sold.

PENETRATION TESTING VS VULNERABILITY MANAGEMENT

By Megan Poljacik • May 29, 2025
When it comes to protecting your company’s infrastructure, two commonly used terms often cause confusion: vulnerability management and penetration testing. While they both serve the same purpose of keeping your data secure, they work very differently. Think of your company’s IT infrastructure like a museum that stores priceless artifacts. To keep it secure, you wouldn’t just install locks and hope for the best. You’d want to routinely check those locks, ensure windows are closed properly, and perhaps even hire someone to test how easy it is to break in. This is basically the difference between vulnerability management and penetration testing.