First Recorded Ransomware attack "Floppy Disk"

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the origins of ransomware—starting with the very first known attack, orchestrated by Dr. Joseph Popp in 1989. Popp, a Harvard-educated biologist, distributed 20,000 floppy disks labeled “AIDS Information Introductory Diskette” to attendees of a global AIDS conference. But hidden within the software was a malicious payload: after a certain number of reboots, the program locked the user’s system and demanded payment to regain access. The ransom note instructed victims to send $189 to a P.O. box in Panama. Though primitive by today’s standards, Popp’s attack laid the groundwork for a new era of cybercrime—one where encryption and extortion would become tools of choice for hackers worldwide.