Malicious Life Podcast: Infighting and Treason in Russia’s Cyber World

This analysis recounts the 2016 treason arrests of FSB CIB deputy Sergei Mikhailov and Kaspersky’s Ruslan Stoyanov, situating them within escalating infighting among Russia’s security organs (FSB, GRU) and broader political power struggles. It traces roots in prior cybercrime cases tied to Pavel Vrublevsky, alleges information-sharing with Western entities, and uses the DNC intrusions (APT29/Cozy Bear and APT28/Fancy Bear) and NotPetya’s spillover as examples of disjointed, risk-prone operations. The piece concludes that the prosecutions served as a deterrent to cooperation with Western law enforcement and illustrate heightened personal risk for officials amid Russia’s internal rivalries.