Bernardo Quintero Uncovers Creator of Virus Málaga and Cybersecurity Legacy – Букви

As mentioned by Techcrunch
After thirty-three years, Bernardo Quintero decided it was time to find the person who had changed his life – an anonymous programmer who created the computer virus that infected his university years ago.
The virus, known as Virus Málaga, was initially almost harmless. However, the task of overcoming it awakened in Quintero a deep interest in cybersecurity, which later led to the founding of VirusTotal – a startup that Google acquired in 2012. This acquisition transformed Málaga’s leading European center for cybersecurity into part of Google and gave Málaga the status of a tech hub.
All this was possible thanks to a small malware program, whose name Quintero never managed to learn. Filled with nostalgia and gratitude, he began his search at the start of this year. He turned to Spanish-language media for tips, delved back into the virus code, looking for clues his 18-year-old “self” might have missed. And later he revealed the mystery, sharing a bittersweet conclusion in a LinkedIn post that spread across networks.
The story begins in 1992, when a young Quintero, at the behest of a teacher, was tasked with creating antivirus software for a 2,610-byte program that spread among the computers at Málaga’s Polytechnic School.
«This assignment in my first year at university sparked a deep interest in computer viruses and cybersecurity, and without it my path might have been completely different»
Quintero’s search was guided by his programmer’s instinct. At the start of the year he left his position as a team manager to “return to the cave, to Google’s basement.” He didn’t leave the company; on the contrary, he returned to experiments without managerial duties.
This investigative approach led him to re-examine Virus Málaga and search for details his 18-year-old “self” might have missed. Initially, fragments of the signature were found, but thanks to the help of one security expert, he was able to uncover a later variant of the virus with a clear clue: “KIKESOYYO”. “Kike soy yo” translates as “I am Kike,” which serves as the nickname for “Enrique.”
At that time Quintero received a direct message from a person who now leads the digital transformation initiative for the city of Córdoba, who claimed to have seen one of his classmates from Málaga’s Polytechnic School who created the virus. Many details matched, but one stood out: he knew that the virus’s hidden message – the so-called payload in cybersecurity – was an expression of condemnation of the Basque terrorist group ETA, a fact Quintero had never disclosed.
The informant named Antonio Astorga – but also said that he had died.
That blow stunned Bernardo: now he would never be able to ask Antonio about “Kiki.” Yet he did not stop: the thread led to Antonio’s sister, who revealed that his real name was Antonio Enrique. For the family he was Kiki.
Cancer claimed Antonio Enrique Astorga earlier than Quintero could thank him in person. However the story did not end: Quintero’s LinkedIn post highlighted the legacy of “a brilliant colleague who became a pioneer of cybersecurity in Málaga” – not only for helping him discover his vocation.
According to a friend, Astorga’s virus had no other goal than to spread his anti-terror message and prove himself as a programmer. Astorga’s legacy lives beyond this story: one of his sons, Serhiy, recently graduated with a degree in software engineering and has an interest in cybersecurity and quantum computing – a significant link for Málaga. “The opportunity now to close the loop and watch how new generations develop this has deep meaning for me,” Quintero said. He sees in Serhiy “a bright example of talent forming in Málaga today.” This was also the result of VirusTotal becoming the root of what later turned into Google Safety Engineering Center (GSEC) and the launch of collaboration with the University of Málaga, making the city a true hub of cybersecurity talent.
The story underscores the link between the small virus from the past and the modern tech landscape, as well as how Málaga became a platform for Google in the field of cybersecurity.

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