Cybersecurity chief Ilya Sachkov insists that every second counts in race against crime
In the era of social media and smart everything, cybersecurity has gone from being the concern of governments and major corporations to being everyone’s business. Ilya Sachkov took it upon himself to make cybersecurity his business with the founding of Group-IB.
A computer whizz from a young age, Sachkov has gone from cybercitizen to boss of a team that tailors cybersecurity solutions for large corporations and government entities. “For the past 16 years, I have been part of the journey, full of new ambitions, plans and projects that were also accompanied by increasingly complex challenges,” he reflects.
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Having expanded his operations from Russia to Singapore, Sachkov is well aware that time is among the most important elements that contribute to the success of his work. He will tell you that fighting cybercrime is a race against time.
“Time is among the things that we value most at Group-IB. I always teach all newcomers to treasure their time and that of their colleagues and our clients,” Sachkov says.
“When you deal with a cyber attack you simply cannot lose track of time. Every second counts, and can ultimately cost the affected companies millions. Group-IB develops technologies that allow you to predict and prevent cyber attacks at their preparation stage. In a sense, we gift you the time to prepare for the attack.”
Despite building an industry-leading business, success hasn’t gone to Sachkov’s head; he is grounded and well aware that time is one of life’s most precious commodities. “Time is my second greatest asset after health,” he says. “These are two resources that remain non-renewable despite the widespread development of technologies. Nowadays, you can replicate almost everything except these two things.”
Establishing a routine for constructive use of this precious asset is something we all have to deal with. Between spending time with friends and family and pursuing one’s ambitions, somewhere along the way sacrifices have to be made. Sachkov’s solution to this problem is simple: make work your greatest passion.
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“I spend almost all my time on Group-IB, which is without a doubt my biggest inspiration now. I keep telling myself that it is just a busy time, but it has already lasted 16 years. But when I look at what we’ve achieved with the team throughout this long journey, how many bad guys we’ve helped put behind bars and – most importantly, how many people and companies we’ve helped – that provides the inspiration and energy and drives me to keep going.”
Interestingly, Sachkov’s take on how to appreciate the time we have on earth is rather a visual one, and it involves a tool he thinks everyone could benefit from incorporating into their lives.
“Think [about] how much you have left and visualise it in a kind of a calendar that would count both the time spent and that left,” he says with a laugh. “It is scary but it sobers you up and, hopefully, will make you spend time more efficiently on the things that really matter to you.”
How many days does he have left? “My personal calendar says that I have 82 more years left,” he jokes.
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“It means a lot to me and will always remind me of the year 2018 when our company skyrocketed – we had enormous growth globally and made the decision to open our global HQ in Singapore. Today, this watch is inextricably linked to the most important time of my life.”
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Group-IB founder lauds non-renewable resources of health and time as his greatest assets despite the widespread development of technologies