Sure, boot sector viruses existed since CP&#x2F;M days - those systems were almost entirely floppy-disk based, and required a lot of reboots. Removable boot media + frequent reboots = fertile environment for boot sector viruses.<p>We should also remember that the 2nd worm was targeted at VMS systems (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Father_Christmas_%28computer_worm%29" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Father_Christmas_%28computer_w...</a>) and appeared only a month or so after the RTM worm. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no?