Marcus Hutchins escaped US imprisonment for charging malicious software

The British hacker who helped end a major cyber attack on the NHS in 2017 has avoided a US prison sentence for malicious hacking charges.

In April, 25-year-old Marcus Hutchins pleaded guilty to two charges of creating malware.

Prosecutors said the malicious program allowed cyber criminals to steal online banking information from Internet users.

Hutchins admitted to having created two programs called Kronos and UPAS Kit.

Since the arrest of Hutchins in 2017, he remained in the United States on bail.

The judge who presided over Hutchins' hearing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said the 25-year-old would face a one-year probation release.

However, he would be allowed to return to the UK and would have to pay no fine.

Hutchins was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison.

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Investigators have acknowledged in court filings earlier this year that Hutchins, known online as MalwareTech, was no longer involved in the creation of malware.

He created Kronos and UPAS Kit between 2012 and 2015, but later went on to research ethical piracy and cybersecurity.

However, US prosecutors said Hutchins was still responsible for his actions.

Hutchins, originally from Ilfracombe in Devon, was credited with discovering a "kill switch" for the WannaCry ransomware, which hit the NHS and many other organizations around the world in May 2017 .

Three months later, he was arrested by the FBI before boarding a flight from Las Vegas to the United Kingdom.

He was attending the Def Con conference on cyber security in the city.

The fans thanked

The day before his conviction, Hutchins tweeted a thank you message to supporters who sent letters of character to the court on his behalf.

"It means so much!" he wrote.

Earlier, in a statement posted on his website in April, Hutchins said he wrote the malware before starting his career in cybersecurity.

"I regret these acts and accept responsibility for my mistakes," he said.

"Having grown up, I've been using the same skills that I used a few years ago for constructive purposes, and I'll continue to spend my time protecting people from malware attacks." . "