- After 33 years, Bernardo Quintero identified the anonymous programmer behind the "Virus Málaga" that sparked his cybersecurity career and led to the founding of VirusTotal.
- The creator, Antonio Enrique Astorga ("Kike"), passed away from cancer before Quintero could thank him, but his sister helped solve the mystery.
- Virus Málaga inadvertently transformed Málaga into a cybersecurity tech hub, fostering talent and ultimately leading to Google's European cybersecurity center in the city.

A: Did you hear about this crazy story?
B: No, what happened?

A: It’s about this guy, Bernardo Quintero. Remember VirusTotal?
B: Oh yeah! Google bought it, right?

A: Exactly! So, he spent 33 years trying to find the person who made a virus back in the 90s.
B: Wow, 33 years! Why would he do that?

A: It’s a long story! This virus, called Virus Málaga, infected his university. It actually got him really interested in cybersecurity. It led him to create VirusTotal!
B: That’s incredible! So he's grateful to the virus maker?

A: Totally! He searched for the guy this year. He asked the media to help.
B: That's a really public search!

A: He looked at the code again. He found a clue: "KIKESOYYO." It means "I am Kike!"
B: So, he found him?

A: Well, kind of. He found out the guy’s name was Antonio Astorga. But… he had already passed away.
B: Oh no! That’s so sad.

A: I know! But then his sister told him Antonio’s first name was Enrique, so he was actually "Kike"!
B: That’s a wild twist!

A: It is! Apparently, Antonio's virus was about spreading an anti-terrorist message. He became a computing teacher! And his son is now studying cybersecurity!
B: Amazing! What a full circle moment!

A: It really is! It shows how one small thing can change so much.
B: That’s an amazing story! I’m glad he found some closure.