From Mainframes to Cyber-Attacks

A Brief History of Computer Security

• Computer security emerged during World War II to protect mainframes used for communication code breaking.
• The primary threats were physical theft, espionage, and sabotage.
• The ARPANET was developed in the 1960s to enable mainframes to communicate more efficiently.
• ARPANET became popular in the 1970s and 80s, but its security was vulnerable due to insufficient controls and safeguards.
• The Rand Report R-609 defined the scope of computer security, expanding it beyond physical security to securing data and limiting unauthorized access.
• MULTICS was the first operating system to integrate security into its core functions, while UNIX did not prioritize security.
• The personal computer and networking in the 1970s gave rise to the Internet in the 1990s.
• Early Internet deployment treated security as a low priority, leading to problems with e-mail security today.
• Physical security of data centers was lost with the rise of networked computers, exposing stored information to security threats.
• Today, the security of each computer's stored information is contingent on the security of every other computer it is connected to.
• Cyber-attacks have made governments and companies more aware of the need to defend critical infrastructure.
• Computer security has evolved from physical security to protecting data and limiting unauthorized access, with a growing emphasis on defending against cyber-attacks.