Robert Morris: The Computer Scientist Who Developed the First Internet Worm
Robert Morris: The Computer Scientist Who Developed the First Internet Worm In 1988, Robert Morris was a student at Cornell University, studying computer science and robotics. However, his academic career was derailed by his invention: the world's first computer worm. It made Morris the first person to be tried and convicted under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, making him Computer Science's first felon. So who was Robert Morris: pioneering programmer, or criminal hacker? Morris was born in 1965 in New York City, the son of Robert Morris, Sr., an influential mathematician and then-director of the National Science Foundation. From an early age, Morris showed an aptitude for computer programming. He won multiple awards at the 1985 International Science and Engineering Fair. He eventually enrolled in Cornell University's computer science program, where he began to develop his own computer software. In 1988, Morris was the first person to write the so-called "Mor...