The computer virus is often considered to be the “Creeper” virus, which was developed in the early 1970s. It was created by Bob Thomas at BBN Technologies and was designed as an experimental self-replicating program that moved between computers on the ARPANET. The Creeper virus would display the message, “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!” as it spread.
Another early example is the “Reaper” program, which was created to delete the Creeper virus. This is significant as it represents one of the first instances of a program designed specifically to combat a virus.
In terms of more malicious intent, the “Brain” virus, created in 1986 by two brothers in Pakistan, is often cited as the first computer virus to spread in the wild, affecting personal computers and creating awareness about computer security threats.