Surf dude who saved the day: Self-taught web geek is hailed a hero for foiling the 'ransomware' virus that crippled the NHS

Working from his home on the south coast during a week's holiday, it took the 22-year-old, pictured left with a friend, just a few hours to find a critical weakness in the software that crippled tens of thousands of PCs, pictured right. Completely self-taught, he used his technical skills to successfully stop the ransomware spreading any further and after announcing what he had done online he was inundated with messages of praise and thanks. But last night he tried to play down his heroics, insisting he had only halted the cyber attack accidentally. 'Saying I've saved lives is a bit drastic, but I've definitely saved a few people a pretty penny,' he told The Mail on Sunday.