Marcus Hutchins was a name revered in the Cyber security community a few short months ago. He was credited with finding a kill switch to stop the massive WannaCry ransomware attack. August 2, Hutchins found himself again in the headlines, this time on the other side. Hutchins was arrested on hacking charges. Hutchins, a UK citizen, was arrested by the FBI in Las Vegas while attending a hacking convention.
The charges stem from Hutchins alleged involvement in the spreading of a separate malware attack. He faces six federal charges dating back to July of 2014, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud. The attacks known as “Kronos” stole online banking credentials and credit card data from unsuspecting customers.
The Kronos malware was downloaded via email attachments on victim’s computers accessing their banking and credit card information. That information was used to take money from the user’s bank accounts. The attack mainly targeted users in Canada, Germany, and the UK.
A second person was arrested but has yet to be identified by the FBI or the Department of Justice.
The Kronos malware was downloaded via email attachments on victim’s computers accessing their banking and credit card information. That information was used to take money from the user’s bank accounts. The attack mainly targeted users in Canada, Germany, and the UK.
Hutchins arrest has sparked countless members of the cyber security community to express their support for Hutchins.
Hutchins has been released on bail and is pending trial, where he is likely to enter into plea deals on the six charges.