Robert Morris, a security expert and father of Robert Tappan Morris, the creator of the Morris Worm, died near his home in Lebanon, N.H. of complications due to dementia.

Morris spent almost a decade as chief scientist for the National Security Agency and was instrumental in the first cyberattack against Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Army in 1991. Morris was also worked at building tools and systems for Unix research group at Bell Laboratories and laying the groundwork for the Internet as we know it.

A talented cryptographer and programmer, Robert Morris is also well known for the Morris Series, which first appeared in Cliff Stoll’s The Cuckoo’s Egg.

1 11 21 1211 111221 … what’s the next number?

In honor of Mr. Morris’ passing, I leave the solution as an exercise for the reader.

via NYT
image via Inquirer