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Briton who helped stop 2017 WannaCry virus avoids jail over malware charges Briton who helped stop 2017 WannaCry virus spared jail over malware charges
(about 2 hours later)
A British cybersecurity expert credited with helping stop a worldwide computer virus in May 2017 will not serve any additional time behind bars for creating malware years before he won international acclaim. The British computer expert who helped shut down the WannaCry cyberattack on the NHS said he is “incredibly thankful” after being spared jail in the US for creating malware.
Marcus Hutchins was hailed as a hero in May 2017 when he found a “kill switch” that slowed the effects of the WannaCry virus affecting more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries.
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The US district judge JP Stadtmueller sentenced 25-year-old Marcus Hutchins on Friday in Milwaukee to time served, with a year of supervised release. Stadtmueller said the virus Hutchins helped stop was far more damaging than the malware he wrote. But the 25-year-old, from the seaside resort of Ilfracombe in Devon, was arrested by FBI agents in a Las Vegas airport months later after attending a hacking convention.
Hutchins pleaded guilty in May to developing and conspiring to distribute malware called Kronos from 2012 to 2015. Prosecutors dismissed eight charges in exchange for his plea. US district judge Joseph Peter Stadtmueller said on Friday that the virus Hutchins helped stop was much more damaging than the malware he created, and sentenced him to time served, with a year of supervised release.
Hutchins’ arrest in Las Vegas in 2017 came as a shock. Just months earlier he was hailed as a hero for finding a “kill switch” to the WannaCry virus that crippled computers worldwide. Hutchins, known online as MalwareTech, tweeted on Friday: “Sentenced to time served! Incredibly thankful for the understanding and leniency of the judge, the wonderful character letter you all sent, and everyone who helped me through the past two years, both financially and emotionally.”
He had faced up to 10 years in prison, but prosecutors credited Hutchins with taking responsibility for his actions. Hutchins served just a few days in jail before being freed on bail, but had to remain in the US while his case was pending. He had pleaded guilty to two charges relating to writing malware, which court documents have described as “malicious computer code” known as Kronos.
More details soon… The documents said: “The malware was designed to target banking information and to work on many types of web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. Since 2014, Kronos has been used to infect numerous computers around the world and steal banking information.”
Hutchins, who had faced up to 10 years in prison, tweeted before his hearing: “Heading into court now. No matter what happens, I love y’all.” Writing earlier this year on his website, he said of his acts: “I regret these actions and accept full responsibility for my mistakes. Having grown up, I’ve since been using the same skills that I misused several years ago for constructive purposes. I will continue to devote my time to keeping people safe from malware attacks.”
HackingHacking
MalwareMalware
Data and computer securityData and computer security
CybercrimeCybercrime
InternetInternet
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