Hero of NHS ransomware attack arrested by US authorities

The British computer expert who helped shut down a cyber attack that crippled the NHS has been charged with creating software that harvested banking details.

Marcus Hutchins, 23, from Devon, was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with six counts in relation to creating and distributing malware known as Kronos, the US Department of Justice said yesterday.

Officials said he was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin in relation to charges in the year leading up to July 2015.

Hutchins, also known as MalwareTech, was hailed a hero in May when he found a “kill-switch” that slowed the effects of the WannaCry virus that hit more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries.

The investigation predates that attack and is completely unrelated, officials said.

The indictment says Hutchins created the malware before conspiring with another defendant to advertise and sell it on internet forums.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Franciscobased digital rights group, said it is “deeply concerned” and has reached out to Hutchins.

The Foreign Office said it is supporting Hutchins’ family and is in contact with authorities in Las Vegas, while the National Cyber Security Centre also said it was “aware of the situation”.