The June 4, 1903in the theater of Royal Institution in London, an event took place that we now recognize as the first documented hacker attack in history, carried out by Nevil Maskelyne to the detriment of the wireless telegraph of Guglielmo Marconi. The Italian inventor was about to demonstrate his system’s ability to transmit messages securely over long distances. Marconi was convinced that the tuning of the signals would make any external interference impossible; a bold statement for the time, given that wireless transmission was a new and mysterious technology to many. However, the demonstration suffered unexpected interference, which put the security boasted by Marconi’s system to the test. The planned broadcast was overshadowed by an unexpected and repetitive message, followed by an offensive poem in English, all broadcast in Morse code.
Maskelyne he was a British inventor and illusionist, as well as Marconi’s bitter rival. Through this demonstration, Maskelyne intended to publicly discredit Marconi by demonstrating that the wireless system could be easily infiltrated. The episode sparked an outcry debate on the vulnerabilities of wireless telecommunications systemsopening a fundamental chapter in the history of cybersecurity. This event, which occurred long before the digital age, contributed to defining the first reflections on communications security, anticipating the issues of privacy and data integrity that are at the center of modern technologies today.
The details of the first hacker attack in history
The June 4, 1903an enthusiastic audience gathered in the famous theater of Royal Institution to attend a historical demonstration. While John Ambrose Fleminga close collaborator of Guglielmo Marconiexplained the principles of wireless transmission, about 300 miles away Marconi was preparing to send a signal from a station in Cornwall. Everything was set up to demonstrate how the technology worked, when suddenly the receiver in the room began to print a mysterious message: a single word in Morse code: «rats» (i.e. “rats”), repeated several times, followed by a offensive limerickwhich read «There was a young Italian who fooled the audience in a very nice way. Surprise reigned in the theater». The message was clearly addressed to Marconi, implying that his system was not as secure as he claimed.
Nevil Maskelynethe perpetrator of the attack, worked for a rival company that challenged Marconi’s patents on wireless telegraphy. Marconi’s claims about the inviolability of his wireless system were for Maskelyne a perfect pretext for a public and, in some respects, ironic demonstration. Maskelyne, convinced that the system was not really protected, decided to install a transmitter not far from the place where the conference was being held (presumably in the theater owned by his father). Using this device, he transmitted a signal powerful enough to interfere with the receiver used by Fleming. Maskelyne’s idea was not simply to disturb the demonstration, but also (and above all) to convey messages that cast doubt on the seriousness and validity of Marconi’s claims.
The incident raised much controversy. Fleming, indignant, called the attack an example of «scientific hooliganism» and on The Times of London asked the newspaper’s readers for help in tracking down the person responsible for the attack. A few days later, Maskelyne proudly confessed his act, justifying it as a necessary action to reveal the limits of a technology that Marconi presented as infallible.
The episode had notable historical relevance, not so much for the reputation of Marconi, who continued to enjoy success and received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909, but for the concept of security in communications. The incident brought out the possibility that wireless signals could be intercepted and manipulated by third partieswhich alarmed governments and researchers of the time. Thus began a new phase of studies to make wireless communications more secure. Maskelyne’s experience inspired the development of encryption techniques, which would make military communications more secure during the World Wars and beyond.
What we learned from the first hacker attack in history
The 1903 attack remains a symbol of the fact that every technological innovation brings with it challenges and vulnerabilities. Maskelyne’s genius and irreverence served to raise a fundamental question that remains relevant today: the security of communications. Although technologies have changed dramatically, the episode reminds us that nThere are no unassailable technologies and, for this reason, we would do well to take all possible precautions to protect smartphones, computers and home automation.
