A British computer security researcher once hailed as a “hero” after helping to prevent a devastating WannaCry ransomware outbreak and later accused of creating malware to attack the banking system admitted Friday that he is not wrongly accused by the United States of those criminal acts.
Marcus Hutchins, who was arrested in 2017, surprising the computer security community, pleaded guilty to criminal acts linked to the activity in 2014 and 2015.
“I regret these actions and accept full responsibility for my mistakes,” said Hutchins, 24, known by his alias “MalwareTech,” noting that the charges related to his activity prior to his security work.
“As I grow older, I now use my hacking skills for constructive purposes. I will continue to dedicate my time to keeping people safe from malware.”
Hutchins in 2017 found a "switch" to prevent the spread of the devastating WannaCry ransomware outbreak, with the media calling him a hero.
A few months later he was arrested after attending Def Con (a hacker convention) in Las Vegas.
The case sparked waves of debate from critics who argued that researchers often work with computer code that can be deployed for malicious purposes.
Banking Trojan
The charges in detail were as follows: Authorities accused Hutchins and another individual of building and distributing the Kronos “banking Trojan,” a malware designed to steal usernames and passwords used on online banking sites.
According to the indictment, Hutchins was part of a conspiracy to distribute the hacking tool on so-called dark markets.
He was released on bail while awaiting trial, allowing him to continue working for a security firm. He maintained his innocence and won the support of many others in his profession.
U.S. prosecutors did not respond to a request for comment on the case, but court documents obtained by ZDNet showed that Hutchins could face up to a year in prison on each of the criminal counts, along with financial penalties.
