LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest on the arrest in Las Vegas of a British man credited with derailing a global cyberattack in May on charges that he created and distributed malicious software designed to collect bank-account passwords (all times local):
5 p.m.
Arraignment was reset in U.S. court in Las Vegas for a British researcher credited with derailing a global cyberattack in May, but arrested on federal charges that he created and distributed malicious software to collect bank-account passwords.
A federal magistrate judge said Thursday that Marcus Hutchins will stay in custody pending a hearing Friday afternoon to determine if he will hire his own lawyer or have one appointed to his case.
The 22-year-old Hutchins entered no plea.
He was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas after an annual gathering of hackers and information security gurus on an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee.
Hutchins is accused of “creating and distributing” malware in 2014 and 2015 known as the Kronos banking Trojan.
Such malware infects web browsers, capturing usernames and passwords from unsuspecting users.
Hutchins was credited in May with helping control the spread of the WannaCry attack that crippled thousands of computers worldwide.
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12:23 p.m.
Marcus Hutchins, a young British researcher credited with derailing a global cyberattack in May, has been arrested for allegedly creating and distributing banking malware, U.S. authorities say.
Hutchins was detained in Las Vegas on his way back to Britain from an annual gathering of hackers and IT security gurus. A grand jury indictment charges Hutchins with “creating and distributing” malware known as the Kronos banking Trojan.
Such malware infects web browsers, then captures usernames and passwords when an unsuspecting user visits a bank or other trusted location.
The news was first reported by tech publication Motherboard. It came as a shock to a cybersecurity community which had rallied behind Hutchins, whose quick thinking helped control the spread of the WannaCry attack that crippled thousands of computers last May.
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