FBI arrests researcher that stopped ‘WannaCry’ for allegedly creating Kronos banking trojan
A cybersecurity researcher known for helping stop the global spread of ‘WannaCry’ ransomware was arrested and charged by the FBI on Wednesday for “his role in creating and distributing the Kronos banking trojan,” according to a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Justice. Marcus Hutchins, 23, is currently in custody at the Las Vegas FBI Field Office, according to sources close to him. Hutchins created and distributed the malware, according to the indictment, first obtained by CNN Money. The charges, brought by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, relate to alleged conduct between July 2014 and July 2015. According to the indictment, Hutchins allegedly created and updated the Kronos trojan while another unidentified person sold the malicious software online. Kronos was sold on the dark web marketplace AlphaBay and other cybercrime forums. Variants of Kronos have sold for as much as $7,000. The malware is still in use. When it […]
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