A British cyber-expert who was hailed for helping end the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017 has agreed to plead guilty to unrelated malware and hacking charges, NBC News reports.
Marcus Hutchins signed an agreement with U.S. prosecutors to plead guilty to two of the 10 charges brought against him by a grand jury. The two charges allege the hacker conspired to advertise, distribute and profit from a malware known as UPAS Kit and Kronos.
Prosecutors claim Mr. Hutchins also tried to disseminate a device used to secretively intercept electronic communications, according to NBC News. In a statement posted to his website, Mr. Hutchins apologized for the malware incident, stating he misused his cyber-expertise years ago.
Mr. Hutchins faces up to five years in prison for each charge if the plea deal is accepted, reports NBC News.
The WannaCry ransomware attack was a global attack on computers in more than 150 countries. The malware hit Britain's National Health Service and Germany's railway and extended into the U.S. Mr. Hutchins, who also went by "Malware Tech," is regarded for identifying a kill switch that slowed the outbreak of the ransomware, NBC News reports.
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