Spam emails are a common occurrence on the internet, with many messages offering dubious business opportunities or advertisements for various services. Unfortunately, much of this spam is designed to hide viruses or other malicious codes within the messages. While tools exist to filter out unwanted emails, some still manage to slip through the filters.
On this day in 1978, Gary Thuerk from DEC made history by becoming the first known spammer. Rather than sending separate messages to each recipient, as was the norm at the time, he tasked assistant Carl Gartley with composing one large email that was sent to 393 addresses on the ARPANET. This email sparked immediate objections from recipients who were not accustomed to receiving unsolicited mass emails.
Spam emails can come in many different forms, ranging from legitimate information about hobbies and interests to harmful content that could compromise your device’s security. Despite efforts to filter out unwanted messages, it continues to be a persistent issue for internet users around the world. It’s important for users to remain cautious and skeptical when opening emails from unknown senders and take steps to protect their devices from potential threats.
