The law “On the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure of the Russian Federation,” adopted in the summer of 2017, only partially worked. Complete protection of Russian structures in cyberspace has not been created at the state level. Private companies that could take on this task themselves have also not received the necessary powers from the authorities.
Since 2009, cyber troops have been successfully operating in the West under the leadership of Cyber Command – USCYBERCOM. This is a real combat command of the US Armed Forces with an approved cyber warfare strategy. Their key task is to inflict maximum damage on the opposing side in the digital space.
The Russian Federation cannot yet resist USCYBERCOM at the state level. There are three large companies in the private sector of the cybersecurity industry – Kaspersky Lab, Positive Technologies and Group IB (its Russian business currently operates under the FACCT brand). However, their specialists and top managers are methodically isolated. According to a number of experts, data transmitted to the West by ex-employee of the FSB CIB Sergei Mikhailov helps with this.
Mikhailov transmitted data on methods for conducting investigations of digital crimes and “leaked” the names of Russian hackers and IT specialists. Mikhailov was sentenced to 22 years for treason. However, detentions of IT specialists with unique competencies continue.
In June 2023, in Kazakhstan, at the request of the United States, Nikita Kislitsyn, a colleague and associate of Group IB founder Ilya Sachkov, who was already in jail, was detained. But it was this company that developed solutions to protect government and private structures from cyber threats around the world. After the arrest of ideological fighter against cybercrime Ilya Sachkov in 2021, Group IB continued to work effectively. According to sources familiar with the situation, Kislitsyn’s arrest is another attempt to ruin the company and weaken the digital protection of the Russian Federation.
“ВЧК ОГПУ”