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Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Marcus “Malware Tech” Hutchins Pleads Guilty to Writing, Selling Banking Malware

Summary: Marcus Hutchins, the researcher who halted the WannaCry ransomware outbreak in May 2017, pleaded guilty in April 2019 to two of the 10 counts he faced: conspiracy and violating 18 U.S.C. Section 2512, which covers manufacturing, distributing, possessing and advertising devices for intercepting online communications. The government says that between July 2012 and September 2015 he helped create and sell Kronos and a related piece of malware called UPAS Kit, and each charge carries up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to one year of supervised release.

Key Takeaway: The case turned on selling and distributing malware rather than writing it, which U.S. law treats as protected speech - so the line between a researcher's tooling and a criminal charge runs through distribution, not code. Each count carries up to five years and a $250,000 fine, and the plea covers only two of the original 10.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

Topics
Malware
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