37 years ago this week, the Morris worm infected 10% of the Internet within 24 hours — worm slithered out and sparked a new era in cybersecurity

In 1988, the Morris worm, created by Cornell graduate student Robert Tappan Morris, infected 10% of the Internet within 24 hours, causing significant damage. Despite being unintentional, the worm led to widespread system crashes and messaging delays, affecting institutions like Berkeley, Harvard, and NASA. Morris was eventually identified as the culprit through FBI investigations and faced legal consequences under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This incident marked a turning point in cybersecurity, highlighting the potential impact of malware on interconnected systems.