'Iloveyou', the computer virus that sent a love letter attached to the email, turned 20 when it infected the computers and the victim gave access to the contact list. It was not the first mass virus but the one that thanks to this psychological stratagem spread rapidly: according to the estimates of the time, it infected 45 million computers in the first 24 hours only and in total it caused damages of 10 billion dollars. It was first identified on May 4, 2000, sent as a mail attachment to Hong Kong.
Many users of the time received an email that said 'check my love letter in the attachment', but in the attachment there was a malicious script that infected the victim's files by weighing down the computer and entering the contact address book. In addition to normal users, many fell victim to companies and institutions such as the Pentagon and the British Parliament. The virus was also an inspiration for the Pet Shop Boys band for the 2002 song 'Email'.
"It was not the first mass email worm but it was undoubtedly the one that hit most computers globally, one of the first examples of how social engineering plays a vital role in cybercrime," explains Jens Monrad, manager of the security company FireEye. "Today malware plays a vital role in the ecosystem of cyber criminals - he adds - and while 'Iloveyou' was not designed to make money for its creators, the method of social engineering and to try to attract users to click about a link or opening an attachment is probably the most significant legacy he has left. "