How a magician became the first hacker of all time

In the current era, more digital than ever, it is common to find cyber attacks and hear about cybercriminals. But have you ever wondered who was the first person to breach a technological tool? In this note, learn about the first hacker in history: the English magician Nevil Maskelyne.

To understand the history, we must go back to the end of the 19th century, when electromagnetic waves were discovered. From this discovery, the wireless telegraph was created, and Guillermo Marconi was key in its development. He claimed that it was a reliable machine and that messages sent through it were secure and private.

However, as Infobae reports, in a public demonstration organized by the scientist, which took place at the prestigious Royal Institution in London, the first recorded hack occurred. Maskelyne intercepted the test communication.

The objective was to send a secret message from afar to the physicist John Ambrose Fleming. However, instead of the secret message, Fleming and his assistant heard insults and ridicule about Marconi and his invention.

This act revealed a vulnerability in that emerging technology and questioned the supposed security of the wireless telegraph.