It’s FRIDAY!!!!!!, the 13th. Usually, the month that falls after this peculiar date is irrelevant. Friday the 13th has always had an ominous connotation throughout time. In computing security, this is based on a particular virus that emerged in the late 1980s and its interesting characteristics. However, we cannot rule out the superstitions that served to reinforce this fear of Friday, the 13th, as well.
The superstition
Long before the era of computers and digital stuff, there was the curse of the thirteenth. In the gospels, the Last Supper bore thirteen seated—Judas, the betrayer, being the final guest. Some whispered that the number signified betrayal, others saw it as a challenge to divine order. The fact is that any number can be considered unlucky and ominous when the conditions are right.
Several sources state that in Norse myth, the thirteenth god, Loki, brought ruin with a smile and lies. He was said to have brought a peaceful gathering into a death-marked omen. Based on this and several others, people began to fear the 13th Friday. It was, and perhaps still is, considered the culprit when luck turns and systems fail.
However, Friday the 13th is not only popular because of these superstitions.
The Real Digital Curse of the ‘80s
On Friday, January 13, 1989, a new kind of evil emerged: the Jerusalem-B variant of the “Friday the 13th” computer virus. Back then, computer viruses were not a new phenomenon. In their earliest onsets, some were more of a nuisance created by kiddies. Malware existed and spread primarily via floppy disks and similar media. Over time, they became more financially backed and therefore highly structured viruses emerged. Among them was the Jerusalem Virus.
According to Malicious Life, episode 36 by Cybereason, this virus quietly hid for weeks until its chosen date. Friday, the 13th! Then, it struck! Files were deleted. Systems slowed to a crawl…. Even at that time… imagine how slow that could be! It infected DOS systems, mostly, at that time.
It was one of the first viruses recorded to be triggered based on the calendar, forging a direct link between superstition and code.
This type of virus was based on a logic bomb. A logic bomb, by definition, is malicious code that remains dormant until certain conditions are met, like a date or a specific system event.
See more about logic bombs here….
Later versions of this virus evolved into what is known as polymorphic viruses. The earlier versions were not polymorphic, though. They began to mutate code without altering its functionality, and also used encryption keys, making detection by antivirus tools more difficult.
By Loctovia
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