1971 - The Creeper Virus: created by Bob Thomas, is often considered the first computer virus. It was designed as an experimental self-replicating program that infected ARPANET systems, displaying the message “I’m the creeper: catch me if you can.”

1982 - Elk Cloner, created by a 15-year-old high school student, Rich Skrenta, is one of the first viruses to spread “in the wild” on personal computers. It infected Apple II systems via floppy disks and displayed a poem after every 50th boot.

1986 - Brain, created by Pakistani brothers Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi, is the first MS-DOS virus. It was a boot sector virus that spread via floppy disks and included contact information for the creators, who claimed it was intended to protect their medical software from piracy.

1988 - Morris Worm, created by Robert Tappan Morris, was one of the first worms to spread across the internet. It caused significant disruption by exploiting vulnerabilities in UNIX systems and led to the creation of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).

1999 - Melissa Virus, created by David L. Smith, was a macro virus that spread via Microsoft Word email attachments. It caused widespread email disruptions and significant financial damage by overwhelming mail servers.

2000 - ILOVEYOU Virus, also known as the Love Letter virus, was a worm that spread through email attachments disguised as a love letter. It infected millions of computers worldwide, causing billions of dollars in damage.

2001 - Code Red Worm, targeted Microsoft IIS web servers, exploiting a buffer overflow vulnerability. It caused significant disruptions by defacing websites and launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

2003 - SQL Slammer Worm, exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server, spreading rapidly and causing widespread internet disruptions. It infected thousands of servers within minutes.

2004 - Mydoom, became one of the fastest-spreading email worms, causing widespread disruption and significant financial losses. It launched DDoS attacks and allowed remote control of infected systems.

2007 - Storm Worm, a Trojan horse program, spread via email and turned infected computers into bots for a massive botnet. It was used for spam and DDoS attacks.

2010 - Stuxnet, a sophisticated worm, targeted industrial control systems, specifically Siemens PLCs used in Iran’s nuclear facilities. It was a highly advanced attack believed to be developed by state actors, demonstrating the potential of cyber warfare.

2013 - CryptoLocker, it was one of the first widespread ransomware attacks, encrypting users’ files and demanding a ransom for decryption. It marked the rise of ransomware as a significant cyber threat.

2017 - WannaCry Ransomware, it is a vulnerability in Windows systems, spreading rapidly and causing widespread damage across various industries. It highlighted the importance of timely software updates and robust cybersecurity practices.

2017 - NotPetya, initially appearing as ransomware, was a destructive malware attack that spread through a compromised Ukrainian accounting software. It caused widespread disruption and significant financial losses globally.

2020 - SolarWinds Attack, it involved a supply chain compromise of the Orion IT monitoring and management software. It led to breaches in several US government agencies and private organizations, showcasing the vulnerabilities in supply chain security.