Daily Time Capsule

January 19, 1986 - The First IBM PC Virus, “Brain,” Began Spreading

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Pete

Pete

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On this day, January 19, 1986, the first IBM PC virus, known as Brain, began spreading. Created by the Farooq Alvi brothers from Lahore, Pakistan, the virus was initially intended as a form of digital copyright protection to deter unauthorized copying of the software they had written.

Brain was a boot sector virus that replaced the boot sector of floppy disks, displaying a message that credited the Alvi brothers and even included their contact information. While the virus was not destructive, its unintended ability to replicate and spread marked a pivotal moment in the history of cybersecurity, as it highlighted the potential vulnerabilities of personal computers.

Fun Fact: The Farooq Alvi brothers later stated that they never intended for Brain to spread globally and were surprised by how far it had traveled, inadvertently becoming pioneers in the history of computer viruses.

Trivia Question: What antivirus software, first released in 1987, became one of the earliest tools to combat computer viruses like Brain?
 
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