Yesterday, I talked about the WannaCry virus being a huge threat to 2107 technology. But thanks to Marcus Hutchins, the threat slowed. That’s because he found a ‘kill switch’ that stopped the malware. However, he’s now in trouble with the the law. They arrested this WannaCry hero.
They arrested him on…you guessed it…cyber crimes. The FBI claims he helped in malicious software that targets bank accounts. The US Justice Dept. indicted him on accusations that he created and spread Kronos, banking malware, from 2014-15. This malware spreads through emails; it also gets online banking passwords, giving criminals access to your money. The arrest took place in Las Vegas.
Then Hutchins and a co-defendant appeared in court. His defender made it clear Hutchins has a clean criminal record. He used his fifth amendment rights and will remain behind bars until a hearing on Friday. But immediately, others are coming to his aid. Hutchins’ mother is obviously upset. She says her son spends so much time fighting this evil. So how can he take part in it at the same time? A friend expressed his worry and swears Hutchins is innocent. However, his co-defendant advertised some malware to an underground website back in July. That underground website no longer functions.
Hutchins was in Vegas for a Def Con hacking conference. It was the last day. So he was on his way to the airport to fly back to England when they got him. The case is ongoing. I don’t think Hutchins himself did anything. At best, he chose some bad friends. The choices of those friends got him in serious trouble. But is something else happening to this WannaCry hero? I mean, he did pretty much stop the threat. The WannaCry hero stopped the threat no government or major corporation could stop. I know this sounds like conspiracy theory, but is that’s what’s going on here? Is this a case of, “No good deed goes unpunished”?