Steve Gibson (computer programmer)

Gibson started working on computers as a teenager, and got his first computing job with Stanford University's artificial intelligence lab when he was 15 years old. He then studied electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

Gibson was hired as a programmer for California Pacific Computer Company in 1980, where he worked on copy protection for the company's products.{{cite journal |last=Knudsen |first=Richard |title=Exec California Pacific: Innovative Marketing Budges |url=http://www.softalkapple.com/sites/default/files/Softalk_V1.05_draft.pdf |journal=Softalk Magazine |date=January 1981 |volume=1 |number=5 |page=34}} He then founded Gibson Laboratories in Laguna Hills, California, in 1981, which developed a light pen for the Apple II, Atari, and other platforms before going out of business in 1983.{{cite web |first=Steve |last=Gibson |url=https://www.grc.com/resume.htm |title=Steve's Resumé |work=GRC.com |access-date=February 8, 2015}}{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ei4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61 |title=Hardware: Light Pen Technology looks to the Micro |last=Mace |first=Scott |date=December 26, 1983 |page=61 |work=InfoWorld |access-date=January 27, 2015 |quote=The Gibson Light Pen has been developed for Atari home computers.}}{{cite web|title=InfoWorld Aug 9, 1982 / P13-17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NDAEAAAAMBAJ&q=david+needle+lps+II&pg=PA13|website=books.google.com|date = August 9, 1982|publisher=Popular Computing Inc|access-date=February 24, 2016}}

In 1985, Gibson founded Gibson Research Corporation (GRC), a computer software development firm, and from 1986 to 1993, he wrote the "Tech Talk" column for InfoWorld magazine.{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ToEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA102 |title=SpinRite upgrade |date=October 11, 1993 |work=InfoWorld |quote=...Steve Gibson, whose Tech Talk column has run in InfoWorld for close to eight years...}}

In 1999, Gibson created one of the first adware removal programs, which he called OptOut.{{cite web |author=Lavasoft |url=http://www.lavasoft.com/mylavasoft/securitycenter/articles/spyware-history |title=The History of Spyware |work=Lavasoft.com |access-date=February 8, 2015 |archive-date=May 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508021736/http://www.lavasoft.com/mylavasoft/securitycenter/articles/spyware-history |url-status=dead }} In 2001, he predicted that Microsoft's implementation of the SOCK_RAW protocol in the initial release of Windows XP would lead to widespread chaos by making it easier for Windows XP users to create denial of service (DoS) attacks.{{cite news |first=Deborah |last=Radcliff |work=Computerworld |date=October 22, 2001 |url=http://www.computerworld.com/article/2585406/operating-systems/windows-xp--is-it-safe-.html |title=Windows XP: Is it safe?}}{{cite AV media |type=video |url=http://www.vpwsys.net/download/grc_low.wma |title=Raw Sockets Debate: Steve Gibson with Tom C. Greene |year=2001 |work=Online Tonight with David Lawrence |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040855/http://www.vpwsys.net/download/grc_low.wma |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=February 7, 2015 }}{{cite news |first=Seth |last=Fogie |work=InformIT |date=June 21, 2002 |url=http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=27289 |title=Raw Sockets Revisited: What Happened to the End of the Internet?}} That year, his company's website was brought down by DoS attacks which continued for two weeks. Gibson blogged about the attacks and his (ultimately successful) efforts to track down the hacker.{{cite news |first=Stuart |last=Millar |work=The Guardian |date=June 5, 2001 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2001/jun/05/hacking.security |title=Teenage hackers}} Three years after the Windows XP release, Microsoft limited raw socket support in Service Pack 2.{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Griffiths |work=IanG on Tap |date=August 12, 2004 |url=http://www.interact-sw.co.uk/iangblog/2004/08/12/norawsockets |title=Raw Sockets Gone in XP SP2}}

In 2005, he launched a weekly podcast called Security Now with Leo Laporte on TWiT.tv, with its archives hosted on GRC's website.{{cite web |url=https://www.grc.com/sn/past/2005.htm |title=Security Now! Episode Archive |work=GRC.com |publisher=Gibson Research Corporation |access-date=February 8, 2015}}{{cite news |first=Andy |last=Bowers |work=Slate |date=December 9, 2005 |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/podcasts/2005/12/slates_podcast_roundup.html |title=Slate's Podcast Roundup}} In November 2024, the podcast hit 1,000 episodes, more than Gibson ever had intended.

In 2006, Gibson raised the possibility that the Windows Metafile vulnerability bug was actually a backdoor intentionally engineered into the system.{{cite web |url=https://www.grc.com/sn/sn-022.htm |title=Security Now! Episode Archive |work=GRC.com |publisher=Gibson Research Corporation |access-date=December 12, 2017}} A response by Microsoft,{{cite news|last=Toulouse|first=Stephen|date=January 13, 2006|title=Looking at the WMF issue, how did it get there?|work=Microsoft Security Response Center|url=http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2006/01/13/417431.aspx|url-status=dead|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060116042756/http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2006/01/13/417431.aspx|archive-date=January 16, 2006}} and by Mark Russinovich on Microsoft's Technet blog,{{cite news|last=Helweg|first=Otto|date=January 18, 2006|title=Inside the WMF Backdoor|work=Mark Russinovich's Blog|url=http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2006/01/18/inside-the-wmf-backdoor.aspx|access-date=October 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061218003852/http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2006/01/18/inside-the-wmf-backdoor.aspx|archive-date=December 18, 2006}} stated that the bug appeared to be coding error and that Gibson's reasoning was based upon Microsoft's abort procedure documentation being misleading.

In 2013, he proposed SQRL as a way to simplify the process of authentication without the risk of revelation of information about the transaction to a third party.{{cite web |work=GRC.com |url= https://www.grc.com/sqrl/demo.htm |title=Secure Quick Reliable Login |first=Steve |last=Gibson |date=October 2013}}

GRC has created a number of utilities, most of which are freeware.{{cite news |first=John |last=Luo |url=http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/fileadmin/cp_archive/pdf/0303/0303_Psyberpsy.pdf |title=Open-source and general public license programs cost little or nothing. Are they right for your practice? |work=Current Psychiatry |date=March 2004}}{{cite news |first=Daniel S. |last=Coolidge |work=GPSolo Magazine |date=January–February 2006 |url=http://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/gp_solo_magazine_home/gp_solo_magazine_index/cybervermin.html |title=Cyber-Vermin: Dealing with Dangerous Fauna Infesting the Internet}}

• [https://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm DNS Benchmark], freeware that lets users test the performance of the domain name servers used by their internet service providers.{{cite news |author=Softpedia |url=http://www.softpedia.com/get/Network-Tools/Network-Testing/DNS-Benchmark.shtml |title=DNS Benchmark |work=Softpedia |access-date=February 8, 2015}}
• [https://www.grc.com/securable.htm Securable], freeware to test whether a pre-Windows 7 computer is 64-bit compatible. It also tells the user whether Data Execution Prevention is enabled.{{cite book |first=Jorge |last=Orchilles |title=Microsoft Windows 7 Administrator's Reference: Upgrading, Deploying, Managing, and Securing Windows 7 |publisher=Syngress |year=2010 |isbn=9781597495622 |page=10}}
• ShieldsUP, a free browser-based firewall testing service; one of the oldest available{{cite web |first=J. D. |last=Biersdorfer |work=The New York Times |date=April 6, 2010 |url=http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/qatorching-your-firewall-on-purpose/?_r=0 |title=Q.&A.: Torching Your Firewall — On Purpose}}{{cite book |first=Woody |last=Leonhard |title=Windows XP Timesaving Techniques For Dummies |url=https://archive.org/details/windowsxptimesav00leon |url-access=registration |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2005 |isbn=9780764596179 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/windowsxptimesav00leon/page/429 429–30]}}
• SpinRite, a hard disk scanning and data recovery utility first released in 1988.{{cite news |title=First Looks |first1=Edward |last1=Mendelson |author-link1=Edward Mendelson |first2=Craig L. |last2= Stark |work=PC Magazine |date=October 11, 1988 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_H7d93IWwogC&q=spinrite&pg=PA38}} {{as of|2019|01}} the current version was 6.0,{{cite web |work=GRC.com |url=https://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm |title=SpinRite |access-date=February 8, 2015}} which was first released in 2004.{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Mainelli |work=PCWorld |date=August 2, 2004 |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/117080/article.html |title=Review: SpinRite 6 to the Rescue}} SpinRite is a commercial product, costing {{US$|89}} {{as of|2021|07|lc=y}}. Gibson's work on SpinRite has led to him being considered an expert on hard drive failure.{{cite news |first=Nate |last=Anderson |work=Ars Technica |date=February 25, 2007 |url=https://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2007/02/8917/ |title=Experts: No cure in sight for unpredictable hard drive loss}}
• Spoofarino, freeware released in 2006 and promised since the controversy over the launch of Windows XP in 2001, it enables users to test whether their internet service providers allow them to send forged or "spoofed" packets of data to Gibson's web site.{{cite news |first=Rob |last=Rosenberger |work=Spyware Point |date=April 1, 2006 |url=http://www.spywarepoint.com/steve-gibson-finally-releases-ddos-attack-tool-t56793.html |title=Steve Gibson finally releases DDoS attack tool}}
• [https://www.grc.com/never10.htm Never10], standalone freeware program that toggles registry values in Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, which either disables or enables Microsoft's Get Windows 10 app and automatic OS upgrade. As of version 1.3, it also triggers the removal of any previously downloaded Windows 10 upgrade files as part of the disable function.{{cite news|title=Steve Gibson's Never 10 Helps You Turn Off the Windows 10 Upgrade|url=https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/65706/steve-gibsons-never-10-helps-turn-off-windows-10-upgrade-announcement|website=thurrott.com|date=March 28, 2016|access-date=April 30, 2016|last1=Thurrott |first1=Paul }}{{cite news|title=This simple app will block Microsoft from downloading Windows 10 on your PC|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/never-10-stops-windows-10-upgrade-2016-3|access-date=April 30, 2016|publisher=businessinsider.com}}
• [https://www.grc.com/incontrol.htm InControl], stops automatic upgrading of Windows 10 and 11.
• [https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm InSpectre], a utility that examines a computer's vulnerability to the Meltdown and Spectre attacks.{{cite web |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/inspectre-lets-you-quickly-check-if-your-pc-vulnerable-meltdown-and-spectre |title=InSpectre will quickly check if your PC is vulnerable to Meltdown and Spectre |last=Thorp-Lancaster |first=Dan |date=January 17, 2017 |work=Windows Central |publisher=Mobile Nations |access-date=January 17, 2018}}
• [https://www.grc.com/initdisk.htm InitDisk], a tool that was developed for GRC's SpinRite (6.1), is a safe USB drive formatter that allows the user to reformat any USB device and make it bootable.{{cite web |url=https://www.grc.com/initdisk.htm |title=GRC InitDisk}}
• [https://www.grc.com/readspeed.htm ReadSpeed], an accurate benchmark for PC mass storage. The tool measures stability and repeatability to a precision of more than 4 significant digits.{{cite web |url=https://www.grc.com/readspeed.htm |title=GRC ReadSpeed}}
• [https://www.grc.com/validrive.htm ValiDrive], a tool that validates whether or not USB flash drives or other Removable media are actually capable of storing the amount of data that they claim to. {{cite web |url=https://www.grc.com/validrive.htm | title=GRC ValiDrive}}
• [https://www.grc.com/otg/uheprng.htm Ultra-High Entropy PRNG] (Pseudo-Random Number Generator) which are critical to any and all computerized operation.{{promotion-inline|{{subst:December 2024}}|date=December 2024}}{{Cite web |title=GRC's UHE PRNG |url=https://www.grc.com/otg/uheprng.htm |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=www.grc.com}}
• [https://www.grc.com/sqrl/sqrl.htm SQRL Login Technology] (Simple Quick Reliable Login, pronounced “squirrel”) is an open, free, intellectual property unencumbered, complete and practical system to cryptographically authenticate the identity of individuals across a network (..) it can replace all other systems while offering dramatic improvements in usability and security.{{promotion-inline|{{subst:December 2024}}|date=December 2024}}{{Cite web |title=GRC's Secure Quick Reliable Login |url=https://www.grc.com/sqrl/sqrl.htm |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=www.grc.com}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book | last1 = Gibson | first1 = Steve | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 1991 | title = A Passion for Technology, 1986 - 1990 Cumulative Index and 1986 | location = Aliso Viejo, California | publisher = Gibson Research Corporation | isbn = 978-1880814864 | ol = OL28048112M | oclc = 1245623144 }}
• {{cite book | last1 = Gibson | first1 = Steve | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 1991 | title = A Passion for Technology 1987 | location = Aliso Viejo, California | publisher = Gibson Research Corporation | volume = 1| isbn = 978-1880814871 | oclc = 1245623144 }}
• {{cite book | last1 = Gibson | first1 = Steve | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 1991 | title = A Passion for Technology 1988 | url = https://archive.org/details/passionfortechno0000gibs | access-date = 2022-01-01 | location = Aliso Viejo, California | publisher = Gibson Research Corporation | volume = 2|isbn = 978-1880814888

| oclc = 1245623144 | ol = OL27971346M | via = Internet Archive | df = dmy-all}}

• {{cite book | last1 = Gibson | first1 = Steve | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 1991 | title = A Passion for Technology 1989 | location = Aliso Viejo, California | publisher = Gibson Research Corporation | volume = 3| isbn = 978-1880814895 | oclc = 1245623144 | ol = OL27971314M }}
• {{cite book | last1 = Gibson | first1 = Steve | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 1991 |title = A Passion for Technology 1990 | location = Aliso Viejo, California | publisher = Gibson Research Corporation | volume = 4| isbn = 978-1880814901 | oclc = 1245623144 }}

{{refend}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{official website|https://www.grc.com/}}
• {{Triangulation|144|Steve Gibson}}
• http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102674112

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