Cyber Hero or Malware Villian?
Update 8/15/2017: Marcus Hutchins plead not guity on all alleged charges yesterday. Hutchins is scheduled for court in October. While awaiting his court date, he will remain on house arrest in the United States. All of Hutchins computers will be returned to him, so he can regain access to the internet and have the ability to work while staying in the U.S.
Update 8/10/2017: Marcus Hutchins has been released on a $30,000 bail. Upon his release, he was forced to forfeit his passport to federal officials, as well as all devices that had internet access. According to U.S. News, Hutchins will remain on house arrest at a federal halfway house in Las Vegas, Nevada until his arraignment date draws closer. Hutchins is scheduled for arraignment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 14, 2017.
Marcus Hutchins, the man responsible for finding the kill switch to the first global ransomware attack, WannaCry, has been arrested for suspected malware creation. The Department of Justice filed a six-count indictment on Hutchins, while he was in Las Vegas for a cyber security conference. The DOJ reported they have been investigating the creation of banking malware, Kronos, for two years. The investigation led them to Hutchins, as a primary suspect.
Many individuals are finding the arrest implausible. According to NPR, Andrew Mabbit, founder of cyber firm Fidus Information Security, said on Twitter that he was trying to find Hutchins a lawyer and would soon be crowdfunding cash for his legal representation.
The alleged crime took place from 2014 to 2015. Therefore, isn’t it possible Hutchins had a guilty conscience and just recently changed his ways? Or has he always been a good guy? Time, and the courts will soon tell.
If you have any thoughts, feel free to drop a comment below!
