Marcus Hutchins, a 23-year-old British cyber-security researcher, has been charged with creating and selling Kronos, a malware that had stolen the bank details of its victims. He was arrested in Las Vegas early in August. Now for the very first time, the young cyber-security researcher gets back online and shares his experience to the public.
The hearing of Marcus Hutchins was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin earlier on Monday. The 23-year-old British cyber-security researcher had pleaded not guilty to the charges pressed against him.
Terms of Marcus Hutchins’ bail
On August 5, the court granted him bail for $30,000 (£23,000). The money was raised both by his family and friends.
While his trial is scheduled this October, Mr. Hutchins has been allowed by the court to get back to his work. He was also granted access to use the internet again under certain conditions. Mr. Hutchins is restricted from accessing the server he utilized when he stopped WannaCry from causing more damage.
In addition, his passport must be surrendered to authorities. During his release, Marcus Hutchins will be closely tracked in the United States using GPS. Some people think that the conditions set on Mr. Hutchins infringe his rights.
Marcus Hutchins: a hero or a villain?
The brilliant cyber-security researcher expressed his gratitude to supporters on Twitter. On his post, Mr. Hutchins said that he was indeed grateful for the overwhelming support he has received over the past days since the very first day he was indicted. He added that he will definitely write a ‘thank you note’ on his blog for those individuals who have never left him in his trying times.
Mr. Hutchins told his supporters that he is still on trial and that he is not yet permitted to get back home. Although he is still under house arrest, he informed them that he will be online.
Marcus Hutchins came to prominence after he stopped the WannaCry attack in May. The malware jeopardized a number of organizations across the globe.
Because of this, he was dubbed as a hero by some people.
But now he faces charges arising from his participation in the WannaCry attack. Wannacry acquired financial information of its victims through their computers infected with Kronos. On 2 August, FBI arrested Mr. Hutchins as reported on UK News Atlanta.
A member of Hutchins’ legal counsel called him ‘a brilliant young man and a hero.' Marcia Hoffman, Hutchins’ lawyer, is confident that the young cyber-security researcher can certainly defend himself. Speaking outside the court after the hearing, Hoffman told the press that Hutchins will be proven innocent once the evidence comes to light.
