The theory that underpins computer viruses was first made public in 1949, when computer pioneer John von Neumann presented a paper titled “Theory and Organization of Complicated Automata. ” In the paper, von Neumann speculated that computer programs could reproduce themselves — effectively describing the most basic form of a malevolent virus you often hear about now.

In the 70 years that have passed since then, viruses have (unfortunately) come a long way. Breaches and hacks are now a dime a dozen, and most of us accept them as a necessary evil of living an online life. Vulnerabilities in software and…

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