Скачать или смотреть First Recorded Ransomware attack "Floppy Disk"

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the origins of ransomware—starting with the very first known attack, orchestrated by Dr. Joseph Popp in 1989. Popp, a Harvard-educated biologist, distributed 20,000 floppy disks labeled “AIDS Information Introductory Diskette” to attendees of a global AIDS conference. But hidden within the software was a malicious payload: after a certain number of reboots, the program locked the user’s system and demanded payment to regain access. The ransom note instructed victims to send $189 to a P.O. box in Panama. Though primitive by today’s standards, Popp’s attack laid the groundwork for a new era of cybercrime—one where encryption and extortion would become tools of choice for hackers worldwide.