Russia (Washington Insider Magazine) -At 35-years-old, Ilya Sachkov, one of Russia’s biggest tech minds, was arrested on treason charges. Sources say that Sachkov will be detained for 2 months and could possibly go to prison for 20 years. Although the facts of the case remain unclear, there are numerous theories surrounding Sachkov’s arrest.
According to sources at the Russian news source, Tass, Sachkov has been accused of sharing information — including Russian secrets — with foreign intelligence agencies. He denies the charges. For many, these charges came as a shock, especially considering Sachkov’s positive reputation throughout the country. Sachkov was continuously in the good graces of the Russian government. He was featured in the spread “Forbes 30 Under 30” and had been seen in photos with many Russian entrepreneurs and officials, including Vladimir Putin.
The primary reason for Sachkov’s meteoric rise to success was his company, Group-IB. Group-IB specializes in finding and preventing various cyber-attacks. It is a globally successful company and boasts numerous international clients, including Interpol. In fact, Group-IB has assisted Interpol on some huge cyber-attack cases. Last year, it took part in a case that led to the arrest of three Nigerian men responsible for hacking 50,000 different companies. Earlier this year, it helped stop a Moroccan hacker who was attacking French telecommunications companies and banks.
Despite massive success in Russian business — such as deals with Alfa-Bank, Sberbank, and Rostec — Sachkov wished to reach beyond Russia. Though already experienced in working with international clients, the company recently moved their headquarters to Singapore, a move that cost the company $30 million and 90 new employees. However, Group-IB was doing incredibly well; in fact, they were preparing for an IPO on a foreign exchange.
Despite the cryptic and classified arrest of its CEO, Group-IB is set to continue operating, business as usual. In an official statement, Group-IB claimed that Dmitry Volkov, the cofounder and chief technology officer, will be handling Group-IB’s leadership. The company also said that they are “confident in the innocence of the CEO and his business integrity.” The company is working alongside its legal team to sort out the details of the charges and impending case.
Although the details of Sachkov’s arrest and charges have remained classified, some people are demanding to know more information about the case. Russia’s business ombudsman, Boris Titov, wrote online that it was “necessary for investigators to explain themselves. Otherwise the sector and its investment attractiveness will be dealt a critical blow.” Titov believes that withholding information about the Sachkov arrest will cause problems for the Russian cybersecurity sector in general. Indeed, such arrests — without context — could sully the reputation of these otherwise well-respected businesses and companies.
Unfortunately, Sachkov is only the most recent person in a long line of established Russian people who have been arrested on treason charges in the last few years, a line that includes a former journalist, scientists, and other cyber-security officials.
Considering the fact that the Russian government has repeatedly received and subsequently denied cyber-attack allegations, it’s certainly possible — and perhaps even likely — that they are systematically exerting control over the cyber-security industry in their country. Indeed, exerting such control would put them at less risk of being caught in the future.
