Creeper (program)
| Type | Worm |
|---|---|
| Isolation | 1971 |
| Author(s) | Bob Thomas |
| Operating system(s) affected | TENEX |
| Original author(s) | Ray Tomlinson |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 1972 |
| Operating system | TENEX |
Creeper was an experimental computer program written by Bob Thomas at BBN in 1971. Its original iteration was designed to move between DEC PDP-10 mainframe computers running the TENEX operating system using the ARPANET, with a later version by Ray Tomlinson designed to copy itself between computers rather than simply move. This self-replicating version of Creeper is generally accepted to be the first computer worm.
The program was not actively malicious software as it caused no damage to data, the only effect being a message in output to the teletype reading "I'm the creeper: catch me if you can".
Reaper was a similar program created by Ray Tomlinson to move across the ARPANET and delete the self-replicating Creeper.
The conflict between Creeper and Reaper served as inspiration for the programming game Core War, while fictionalized versions of Reaper have been used as antagonists in the anime Digimon Tamers and the visual novel Digital: A Love Story.
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