<P> Although the roots of the computer virus date back as early as 1949 , when the Hungarian scientist John von Neumann published the `` Theory of self - reproducing automata '' , the first known computer virus appeared in 1971 and was dubbed the `` Creeper virus '' . This computer virus infected Digital Equipment Corporation 's ( DEC ) PDP - 10 mainframe computers running the TENEX operating system . </P>
<P> Although the roots of the computer virus date back as early as 1949 , when the Hungarian scientist John von Neumann published the `` Theory of self - reproducing automata '' , the first known computer virus appeared in 1971 and was dubbed the `` Creeper virus '' . This computer virus infected Digital Equipment Corporation 's ( DEC ) PDP - 10 mainframe computers running the TENEX operating system . </P>
when was the name of the first malicious software detected on a pc
when was the name of the first malicious software detected on a pc
the `` Creeper virus ''
the `` Creeper virus ''