Sarah Gordon (computer scientist)

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Sarah Gordon is a computer security researcher, responsible for early scientific and academic work on virus writers, hackers, and social issues in computing. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] She was among the first computer scientists to propose a multidisciplinary approach to computer security. Known primarily for early work on the relationship between people and computers, much of her original technical research was published or presented between the late 1980s and mid-1990s. She continues to publish in the field of Artificial Intelligence, with current work focusing on the ethical implications of AI technologies, testing and evaluation of AI systems, and the risks of emotional mimicry in human–AI interaction. Her recent publications include the book Built to Be Believed (Leanpub, 2024) [8] and the article "Built to Be Believed" (Virus Bulletin, August 2025). [9]

Two of the first "concept viruses" for Microsoft products were discovered by Gordon, refuting the common belief that it was impossible to contract a virus via email and demonstrating the vulnerability of Microsoft Word to macro viruses in 1995. [10] She also wrote the first report on Linux viruses in the wild. [11] She is known for inventing the term "vX" to refer to Virus Exchange. [12] Gordon has always been fascinated with linguistics, and has introduced several other terms into the computer lexicon, including "trigger foot" and "meaningfulness". [13]

Gordon was appointed to the computer science graduate faculty of the Florida Institute of Technology [14] [ failed verification ] in 2004. Although she has worked for several computer security companies, including Dr. Solomon's Software, Command Software, IBM Research, and Symantec Corporation, her work has continued to be primarily academic. Gordon is an alumnus of Indiana University South Bend, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1997. She has a master's degree in Human Behaviour and Professional Counseling, and a Ph.D in Computer Science from Middlesex University. [15]



References

  1. ↑ IFIP Technical Committee 11. 1994. Technologically Enabled Crime: Shifting Paradigms for the Year 2000. Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
  2. ↑ Stucker, H. 1997. Wired. Among the Virus Thugs Archived 2012-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Jackson, 1999. Profiler Analyst. Government Computer News Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Hattori, J. 2001 CNN. Hacking into the minds of virus writers Archived 2008-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ USA Today. 2002. Tech Archived 2010-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Savage, M. 2001. Delving into the online underworld Archived 2007-08-14 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Slade, R. 2003. Collecting Evidence from the Scene of a Digital Crime. p. 23. McGraw Hill
  8. ↑ "Built to Be Believed". Leanpub. 2024. Archived from the original on 2025-08-04. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  9. ↑ "Built to Be Believed" (PDF). Virus Bulletin. August 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  10. ↑ Shapiro, Scott (2023). Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The dark history of the information age, in five extraordinary hacks (1st ed.). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. p. 145. ISBN   978-0-374-60117-1.
  11. ↑ Gordon, S. 1998. The Worm Has Turned. Virus Bulletin. August issue. pp10-12.
  12. ↑ Risks Digest, Volume 16: Issue 91 Tuesday 14 March 1995 citing Slade, R. Viral Morality; Gordon, S. 1993. Virus Exchange BBS: A Legal Crime? Legal, Ethical and Technical Aspects of Computer and Network Use and Abuse. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Irvine, California
  13. ↑ Santa Fe Institute Keynote, Examination of Cybercentric Role Models in Film and Media, 2007
  14. ↑ Florida Institute of Technology Department of Computer Science Archived 2020-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ Ford, Sarah Gordon. "Changing the way the world thinks about computer security. PhD thesis, Middlesex University" (PDF). Middlesex University Research Repository. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
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