𝗜𝗡𝗧. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗽’𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 – 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 (𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟵)

𝗜𝗡𝗧. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗽’𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 – 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 (𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟵)

DR. JOSEPH POPP, an English evolutionary biologist types frantically on his computer.

POPP (to himself) – “…Panama.”

He sits back and smiles.

𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛 𝗙𝗢𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 – 𝗔 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿

Popp drops off 20K envelopes with floppy disks titled “AIDS Information Introductory Diskette” into the mailbox.

𝗖𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗢 – 𝗜𝗡𝗧. 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲

A small medical practice OWNER opens the envelope.

OWNER – “AIDS information. Seems relevant, I’ll check it out.”

He inserts the disk into his computer and turns it on. The computer sends a threatening message to lock his files unless he sends $189 to a P.O. Box for the PC Cyborg Corporation in Panama.

With the recent and much more complex Mention Colonial Pipeline hack, the AIDS trojan horse is considered to be the first recorded ransomware malware attack.

3 decades later, cyberwarfare is decidedly less playful.