Authorities in Russia have arrested the founder and chief executive officer of prominent cybersecurity company Group-IB Global Private Ltd. on accusations of high treason.

Ilya Sachkov, who founded the company in 2003, was arrested today on a warrant issued by Moscow’s Lefortova district court. The arrested followed a raid on the office of Group-IB on Tuesday.

Exactly what Sachkov is alleged to have done to commit high treason was not disclosed by authorities. Article 275 of Russia’s Criminal Code describes high treason as espionage, disclosure of state secrets or any other assistance rendered to a foreign state, a foreign organization, or their representatives in hostile activity to the detriment of the external security of the Russian Federation, committed by a citizen of the Russian Federation.

An act of high treason is punishable by a prison term of between 12 to 20 years along with confiscation of property.

Bleeping Computer notes that the company has assisted law enforcement organizations, including the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation and the International Criminal Police Organization, with information, expertise and statistical data that helped combat cybercriminal endeavors. However, there is some claim that the company refused to cooperate with Russia’s Federal Security Service outside official contracts or on political issues.

Group-IB has confirmed the arrest, saying that it’s confident in Sachkov’s innocence. The company declined to discuss the matter further because of ongoing procedural activities.

“Sachkov’s arrest isn’t the first time we have seen Russian authorities arrest a cybersecurity vendor; in 2017, Kaspersky’s Russian Stoyanov was arrested on treason charges,” Rick Holland, chief information security officer and vice president of strategy at digital risk protection firm Digital Shadows Ltd., told SiliconANGLE. “What is different this time is that the CEO of a Russian cybersecurity company has been taken into custody.”

Holland explained that the arrest will send chills throughout the Russian and broader cybersecurity community.

“Russian officials could see any cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies as ‘collaboration with foreign intelligence services,'” Holland added. “In the U.S., for example, the FBI is a member of the Intelligence Community. Cybercrime is borderless and global, so any actions like this that deter international cooperation further enable and embolden cybercriminals.”

Image: Group-IB