WithSecure – Museum of Malware Art

Event Introduction

EGS – Inter-Continental,
Joey Holder – Araneomorph
Hugo Lankinen & Kasper Hilden – Click For Love
danooct1 & Mikko Hyppönen – Virus Archive 

All artworks located in WithSecure HQ in Välimerenkatu 1 and are viewable from the street. 

Inter-Continental: Inspired by the Blaster malware, Inter-continental explores the theme of global contagion. The work reflects on the rapid spread of the Blaster worm, which created one of the largest malware outbreaks in history in August 2003. Blaster infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide, highlighting the seamless way malware crosses borders in an interconnected world. Much like graffiti spreads across urban environments, appearing unexpectedly and resisting control, malware infiltrates digital spaces, leaving a disruptive mark on systems and societies alike. The author of the Blaster.A worm remains unknown.

Araneomorph: Araneomorph is a sculpture that symbolises the encryption process during a ransomware attack. Inspired by puzzle boxes and guarded by a spider-like figure, it represents how data is concealed and held hostage. At the core of the structure lies a sigil, a symbol used in mystical traditions to represent hidden intentions, similar to how cryptography encodes meaning in complex, unreadable forms. The work merges ancient and modern techniques, drawing parallels between symbolic abstraction and cryptographic algorithms, highlighting the intricate ways in which information can be encrypted and decoded. 

Click For Love: Click for Love, inspired by the ILOVEYOU malware, reflects the emotional and technological consequences of the infamous virus. When users clicked to open the file LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs, their computers were instantly infected. The mouse, a simple tool of interaction, became the trigger for widespread devastation. The heart-shaped sculpture invites viewers to contemplate the intersection of love, technology, and vulnerability in the digital age. The old computer mice, collected from around the world, emphasise the global reach of the virus, which spread rapidly through email systems in 2000, leaving a lasting impact on digital culture.

Virus Archive: A curated collection of malware visuals spanning 1987 to 2024. This archive traces the evolution of digital threats, from early MS-DOS viruses to complex ransomware, capturing the technological and cultural impact of each era’s most infamous malware. Explore the artistry and complexity behind code designed to disrupt, deceive, and devastate.

The Museum of Malware Art captures the dark side of our digital world. Through our collections and exhibitions, we explore the history, present and future of cyber attacks: the motivations behind them, the ethical considerations of digital security and malware’s effects on individuals, companies and societies. 

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