HERO or VILLAIN?

[grober]

Bail of $30,000 set for UK cyber expert Marcus Hutchins - BBC News

I am guessing at this moment the guy feels like he has strayed on to the film set of Deliverance?

 

[Stratman]

He stopped WannaCry by accident rather than out of any altruistic motive, then wrote a bank login harvester, not by accident.

In principle I'd equate the creators of such software with those who manufacture class A drugs, creating misery for many while hiding in the background.

 

[Steveml63]

Innocent - until proven VILLAIN!

 

[PobodY]

The problem with these kinds of cases is that it's a bit of a fine line. - You want to stop malicious code, you need to know how it works.
Maybe you start by playing the villain, then decide that you'd rather be the hero.

It sounds like the case against him is rather flimsy, but who knows how a jury is going to feel about it?

 

[markjay]

Looks like the spirit of 17th century privateering is alive and well albeit in more modern guise.

 

[hitenhirani]

Maybe you start by playing the villain, then decide that you'd rather be the hero.

Agreed - the charges against him are from code he wrote in 2014-2015 - when he may have been a villain.

He then starts working in favour of cyber-security - when he wanted to be the hero.
(accidently or not, he knew what to look for, because of his experience, and stopped WannaCry)