25 Years After Code Red: What the Worm Era Can Teach Us About AI Security
Twenty-five years after the Code Red worm, a pivotal moment in cybersecurity history, experts are drawing parallels to the current rush towards AI adoption. The article highlights how Code Red exploited a widespread, often unknown, vulnerability – a lack of visibility – and argues that the same issue is occurring now with AI tools. The piece emphasizes the need to understand what an organization is running and deploying before deploying AI, mirroring the lessons learned from the Code Red worm era. It suggests that a proactive approach to identifying and securing emerging technologies is crucial to avoid a similar security blind spot.
Twenty-five years ago, the Code Red worm emerged as one of the first internet-scale cybersecurity incidents, exploiting vulnerable Microsoft IIS servers and spreading rapidly across organizations worldwide. More than just a worm, it exposed a security reality that remains true today: organizations cannot secure what they do not know they have. The article reflects on this legacy and how it relates to the current adoption of AI.
Code Red exploited a default-on service that many organizations probably didn't even know they were running, didn't know was misconfigured, and didn't know there was a patch available for. The piece argues that this lack of visibility – a fundamental security challenge – is being replicated today with the rapid deployment of AI tools.
Experts point to the current rush to adopt AI and enable business growth as a potential source of new vulnerabilities. Just as Code Red exploited a widespread, unknown vulnerability, organizations are now deploying AI without fully understanding what they have in their environments. The article suggests that a proactive approach to identifying and securing emerging technologies is crucial to avoid a similar security blind spot.
Dennis Fisher, a longtime cybersecurity journalist, recalls the time leading up to Code Red’s discovery. He describes how the worm exploited a default-on service and how the name itself – “Code Red” – was fitting because a portion of the payload posted a message on the website saying “Hacked by Chinese…” etc. The article also recounts a humorous anecdote about Pepsi offering free soda to the BeyondTrust team in exchange for their analysis of the worm.
Marc Maiffret, BeyondTrust CTO, emphasizes the importance of a first-principles approach to AI security, arguing that organizations need to determine what they have before deploying AI. He believes that conversations like this are critical to prevent a repeat of the vulnerabilities exposed by Code Red. BeyondTrust, a leader in privilege-centric identity security, highlights the need to discover, control, and secure privilege across all environments, including those utilizing AI. The company’s platform is trusted by 20,000+ customers, including 75 of the Fortune 100.