British spy chiefs knew of FBI sting on NHS hack attack hero

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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-spy-chiefs-knew-of-fbi-sting-on-nhs-hack-attack-hero-marcus-hutchins-hctlgbvrr?shareToken=daea7379c752a6a45463365dcd0e5d31

GCHQ was aware that a British IT expert who stopped a cyber-attack against the NHS was under investigation by the FBI before he travelled to America and was arrested for alleged cyber-offences, The Sunday Times can reveal.
Officials at the intelligence agency knew that Marcus Hutchins, from Devon, who was hailed as a hero for helping the NHS, would be walking into a trap when he flew to the US in July for a cyber-conference. Hutchins’s arrest by the FBI on August 2 while he was returning from Las Vegas freed the British government from the “headache of an extradition battle” with their closest ally, say sources familiar with the case.

Hutchins, 23, made headlines in May when he helped to slow down a ransomware attack, known as WannaCry, against the NHS and other organisations in around 100 countries. The attack, believed to have been carried out by North Korea, freezes a user’s computer and demands an untraceable payment using the digital bitcoin currency. While Hutchins has no criminal history, he faces six charges and up to 40 years’ imprisonment for allegedly helping to create, spread and maintain the malware Kronos, which gathers information from infected computers — offences said to have taken place between July 2014 and July 2015. He denies any wrongdoing.

One source said. “Our US partners aren’t impressed that some people who they believe to have cases against [them] for computer-related offences have managed to avoid extradition. Hutchins’s arrest freed the British government and intelligence agencies from yet another headache of an extradition battle.”.Hutchins was granted bail on August 5 but will not be allowed to leave America. He is expected to live in Los Angeles while awaiting trial.