Marcus Hutchins, a security researcher, has a new chapter to write after accidentally preventing the spread of the notorious WannaCry worm using a sinkhole he made in May 2017.
Hutchins, who was detained for developing and marketing the Kronos banking Trojan a few months after his kill switch stopped WannaCry, has been designated the first-ever fellow for Cybrary, a 3 million-student cybersecurity online training platform. Hutchins will oversee training sessions and mentoring initiatives in his new position. He will also provide training content advice and contribute to the creation of new virtual labs and other practical educational resources.
"High-quality training materials were hard to come by when I first started out in cybersecurity. My friends and I frequently found ourselves juggling an inconsistent mix of forum debates and blog entries. Since then, I've worked constantly to develop the tools I wish I could have had back then, "said Hutchins in a statement. I firmly believe in enhancing both the availability of these basic training materials and the domain-specific information needed to assist individuals in securing employment in our sector."
Malware authors' hiring is a logical fit because he shares Cybrary's enthusiasm for offering affordable and available cybersecurity training. He is in a position to make a difference in Cybrary's aim to give cybersecurity professionals the skills they need to land jobs and successfully fight against threats.
This announcement comes in the wake of Cybrary's recently launched Cybrary Free Access, a service that offers more than 500 hours of content aimed at assisting users in breaking into the cybersecurity profession and advancing towards their career goals.
Marcus is a gifted and accomplished cybersecurity researcher, and we are truly proud to announce him as a Cybrary Fellow, said Kevin Hanes, CEO of Cybrary. He will assist us in bringing the cybersecurity talent that is more necessary than ever to the workforce and in educating everyone who is eager to take on this essential task in the fundamentals of cybersecurity.
