BlackShades co-creator pleads guilty in US court

The 24-year-old Swedish co-creator of the Blackshades remote access tool used to hack half a million computers between 2010 and 2013 has pleaded guilty to the distribution of malicious software.

Alex Yücel, who ran the BlackShades organisation from Moldova under the alias ‘marjinz’, has dropped an earlier appeal and is now reportedly engaged in a plea deal for a shorter term ahead of his 23 March trial and 22 May sentencing.