US-Russia Cybersecurity War? 2 Arrested For Treason Charges As Hacking Conflict Continues

Two Russians, one a manager with the superpower’s top private cybersecurity firm and another a senior intelligence officer, were arrested last month. They could face charges of treason, according to Wednesday media reports.

Ruslan Stoyanov, who headed Kaspersky Lab’s computer incidents investigation unit, was taken into custody and is now being held at the Lefortovo prison, which is typically used to harbor Russian political prisoners, Russian outlet Kommersant reported.

Sergei Mikhailov, who worked as a senior intelligence officer with Russia’s top internal security agency FSB, was also arrested. Both suspects’ social media accounts went dormant last month, according to Kommersant.

The company confirmed Stoyanov’s arrest to Kommersant and also told the Associated Press that his detention "has nothing to do with Kaspersky Lab and its operations."

The FSB and the Kremlin have not yet responded to the AP’s requests for comment, with a Kremlin spokesman declining to do so.

Additionally, the company, known for creating computer anti-virus software, said in a statement to BBC News Thursday Stoyanov was under investigation for work prior to joining it in 2012.

"Ruslan Stoyanov is under investigation for a period predating his employment at Kaspersky Lab," the statement read. "We do not possess details of the investigation."

BBC News noted Stoyanov was apprehended for allegedly receiving payments from foreign firms.

While the company denies knowledge of the investigation, Forbes wrote the case was filed under article 275 of Russia’s criminal code, which means the suspects could face a secret military tribunal and lets the Russian government prosecute for helping a foreign state or organizing in "hostile activities to the detriment of the external security of the Russian Federation ."

No report mentions the involvement of the United States or if either suspect sent it information, but the timing of the arrests does coincide with the U.S. and Russia’s ongoing back-and-forth of allegations over the 2016 presidential election and President Donald Trump’s victory in November.

U.S. intelligence agencies accused Russia of directly hacking the Democratic National Committee and dumping fake news on Americans in an effort to make Democrat Hillary Clinton look bad and prop up Trump, who it’s alleged the Russians favored as U.S. president.

Former President Barack Obama later vowed to retaliate against Russia for the alleged hacking in both clandestine and more direct ways. Trump, at first, refused to believe the intelligence community's reports but eventually admitted Russia played a role in the hacking.