• Cryptocurrency
  • Earnings
  • Enterprise
  • About TechBooky
  • Submit Article
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
TechBooky
  • African
  • AI
  • Metaverse
  • Gadgets
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • African
  • AI
  • Metaverse
  • Gadgets
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
TechBooky
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Home Enterprise

The 22 Year Old British Guy Credited With Stopping WannaCry Has Been Arrested On Separate Malware Charges In The US

Paul Balo by Paul Balo
August 4, 2017
in Enterprise, Government, Security
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The 22 year old British security expert who was credited with slowing down the spread of the WannaCry ransomware back in May has been arrested on separate charges of creating malware used in hacking banking systems across Europe and Canada.

Marcus Hutchins who owns the blog Malware Tech was arrested in Las Vegas by American authorities is accused of creating the Kronos banking malware that was responsible for stealing user names and passwords of infected machines according to court documents.

Hutchins was said to be attending the Black Hat and Def Con conferences in Las Vegas where many hailed him as the hero behind the stop of WannaCry malware which infected computers across the world including those of life saving institutions like the British National Health Service (NHS) and this means by extension that the guy may have saved lives too.

Many have expressed shock at his arrest and the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre said in a statement that “We are aware of the situation. This is a law enforcement matter and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Hutchins who faces up to 40 years in jail allegedly wrote the Kronos malware and reportedly advertised it on hacker forums but it gets tricky because he is not accused of directly hacking into banking systems but being only the producers and distributor which has seen him make thousands of dollars according to the law enforcement authorities in the US.

This could be linked to the AlphaBay (an online market place for illegal stuff that they say sells drugs, guns and hacking tools among others) site that was shut down by the FBI. They say Hutchins may have sold his software there too which is why could be why they arrested him in the first place. Alexandre Cazes the 26 year old founder of AlphaBay was found dead in his cell in Thailand in what they say may be a suicide.

While his fellow cyber security experts say they are still in shock, it’s not clear whether the US authorities will eventually send him back to the UK to continue facing charges there but it looks though as if he could be facing prison time in the US. The close intelligence sharing relationship between the US and UK may change this though but that’s left to be seen as of today.

Several cyber advocacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have started reaching out to Hutchins and according to them, they say they are “deeply concerned” about it but provided no further details about specific actions they might take in this case.

Related Posts:

  • router-595x335_0
    US And UK Warn Of Custom Malware Vulnerability On…
  • Telegram_logo_7a822c70fe
    Telegram Sees Surge in Data Sharing with Law Enforcement
  • do-kwon-retour-seoul
    Do Kwon Who Was Wanted For Crypto Crash Is Arrested…
  • B01DD9BE-C84F-4748-8F33-B0231620FA70
    Crypto Lord, Bankman Fried Arrested In Bahamas, To…
  • DOJ-says-it-will-no-longer-prosecute-good-faith-hackers-under-CFAA
    US Department Of Justice Will No Longer Prosecute…
  • Robotics
    Nigeria Ranked As Africa’s Second Most Cyber-secure…
  • 05qVxkDI80MBJIFpYBnwsMI-1..v1738940215
    An AI-Powered Scareware Blocker Available in Microsoft Edge
  • Explained_-What-is-the-Toll-Fraud-malware-how-it-attacks-Android-devices-and-how-to-protect-yourself
    Microsoft Warns Of A Dangerous Android Malware…

Discover more from TechBooky

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Tags: blogbritaincybersecurityemail remarketingfbihackersinstant signuplegalmarcus hutchinsonsecurityUKunited kingdomwannacry
Paul Balo

Paul Balo

Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

Select Category

    Receive top tech news directly in your inbox

    subscription from
    Loading

    Freshly Squeezed

    • Bill Gates to Wind Down Foundation by 2045, Slams Elon Musk Over USAID Cuts May 8, 2025
    • Central Bank of Nigeria Approves Open Banking Launch This August. Here’s what to Know May 8, 2025
    • Netflix Unveils AI‑Driven TV App Overhaul May 7, 2025
    • OpenAI Reverses For‑Profit Pivot, Non-profit Retains Control May 7, 2025
    • Airtel Africa & SpaceX to Bring Starlink to Underserved Areas May 6, 2025
    • Zone’s Blockchain Network Adds Accelerex & ITEX May 6, 2025

    Browse Archives

    May 2025
    MTWTFSS
     1234
    567891011
    12131415161718
    19202122232425
    262728293031 
    « Apr    

    Popular Tags

    africa (135) AI (497) android (367) app (717) Apple (576) artificial intelligence (419) business (482) china (132) cryptocurrency (209) ecommerce (122) enterprise (287) facebook (507) fintech (243) funding (121) gadget (558) gaming (201) google (709) government (469) instagram (173) internet (466) ios (291) iphone (246) meta (116) microsoft (369) mobile (352) new feature (384) nigeria (439) privacy (158) research (140) samsung (185) security (421) smartphone (277) social media (835) software (509) startup (419) streaming (174) telecom (241) tips (372) twitter (289) united states (216) users (158) videos (127) website (173) whatsapp (200) youtube (138)

    Quick Links

    • About TechBooky
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact us
    • Submit Article
    • Privacy Policy

    About Us

    TechBooky

    TechBooky is a social Tech blog with a special focus on the budding African Technology sector. TechBooky is currently based in Abuja, Nigeria.

    Recent News

    Bill Gates to Wind Down Foundation by 2045, Slams Elon Musk Over USAID Cuts

    Bill Gates to Wind Down Foundation by 2045, Slams Elon Musk Over USAID Cuts

    May 8, 2025
    Central Bank of Nigeria Approves Open Banking Launch This August. Here’s what to Know

    Central Bank of Nigeria Approves Open Banking Launch This August. Here’s what to Know

    May 8, 2025
    Netflix Unveils AI‑Driven TV App Overhaul

    Netflix Unveils AI‑Driven TV App Overhaul

    May 7, 2025
    OpenAI Reverses For‑Profit Pivot, Non-profit Retains Control

    OpenAI Reverses For‑Profit Pivot, Non-profit Retains Control

    May 7, 2025
    Airtel Africa & SpaceX to Bring Starlink to Underserved Areas

    Airtel Africa & SpaceX to Bring Starlink to Underserved Areas

    May 6, 2025
    Zone’s Blockchain Network Adds Accelerex & ITEX

    Zone’s Blockchain Network Adds Accelerex & ITEX

    May 6, 2025
    • Login

    © 2021 Design By Tech Booky Elite

    Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors
    • African
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Gadgets
    • Metaverse
    • Tips
    • About TechBooky
    • Advertise Here
    • Submit Article
    • Contact us

    © 2021 Design By Tech Booky Elite

    Discover more from TechBooky

    Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

    Continue reading

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok