Russian Cyber Security Chief Charged

Russia has now charged the CEO of Group-IB, a leading Russian cyber-security company with treason a local news agencies have reported. 

Ilya Sachkov (pictured)  founder and CEO, was recently arrested and put in prison for two months and police searched his firm's Moscow offices.

He has been charged with divulging state secrets to foreign intelligence agencies, but so far it has not explained  what data and info Sachkov had allegedly shared, or specifically with what organisations.

Group-IB is a high-tech crimes and online fraud investigator and has clients that include banks, telecoms firms and Interpol. At the time of his arrest Sachkov denied allegations of working with foreign intelligence services and causing problems for Russia's national interests. TASS and RIA, both state news agencies, have now said he has been charged with treason.

Treason is punishable by up to 20 years in jail and the details of such cases are rarely made public because of their classified nature.

At the time of his arrest, which his lawyer said he would appeal, Sachkov denied allegations of working with unspecified foreign intelligence services and hurting Russia’s national interests, TASS reported. In a letter to Russia President Vladimir Putin Sachkov's mother Lyudmila urged the president to have her son released, calling him "a sincere patriot". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the letter had not reached the presidential administration. "I understand his mother's emotional state. There are very serious charges against her son," Mr Peskov told reporters. "But only a court can find a person guilty."

In 2016, Sachkov was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. He is an associate professor of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University IT Security Department and a member of Russian State Duma and Foreign Ministry expert committee.

Straits Times:      Reuters:      Meduza:      Interfax:         TASS:     Image: GroupIB Press

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