Hermosa Beach Tech Firm's Employee Stops Global Cyberattack

HERMOSA BEACH, CA — The 22-year-old surfer credited with halting the spread of the largest global computer attack in history before it took root in the United States this weekend works for a Hermosa Beach-based Kryptos Logic, it was reported Monday.

Marcus Hutchins, a 22-year-old surfer who lives in England, was one of hundreds of computer experts who worked over the weekend to combat the WannaCry ransomware attack that infected computers across the globe. According to the New York Daily News, it was Hutchins who figured out how to stop it when he realized the virus was linked to an unregistered web address. He simply registered the domain and flipped the kill switch.

But Hutchins insists he’s no hero.

“I’m just someone doing my bit to stop botnets,” he told the Daily News. “It’s the right thing to do.”

The WannaCry virus spread rapidly across the globe Friday by encrypting users' computer files and displaying a message demanding between $300 to $600 to release them. The virus threatened that irreparable damage would follow.

Hutchins is employed by Hermosa Beac-based Kryptos Logic. He was analyzing a sample of the malicious malware's code when he noticed it was linked to an unregistered web.

“Marcus, with the program he runs at Kryptos Logic, not only saved the United States but also prevented further damage to the rest of the world,” Salim Neino, CEO Kryptos Logic told the New York Daily News.“Within a few moments, we were able to validate that there was indeed a kill switch. It was a very exciting moment. This is something that Marcus validated himself.”

Kryptos Logic is a cyber-security company that combats online threats or, as the company’s website declares, "the barbarians at the gate” for government agencies, companies and individual clients worldwide.

The WannaCry attack is believed to have struck more than 330,000 computers, and experts say preliminary findings point to North Korea as a culprit.

Kryptos Logic is one of hundreds of companies working to combat online threats for companies, government agencies and individuals around the world.