Was born in 1966 to an officer family in Potsdam, GDR. Completed school in Moscow region in 1981, after that - the Suvorov Military School in Moscow. Graduated from the Moscow State University, Juridical Department with a specialization in jurisprudence.

Worked as an assistant to the USSR Supreme Council Delegate Yuri Chernichenko. In 1990 was elected Delegate of the Moscow Council of Peoples’ Deputies and served as Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Legitimacy, Legal Order and Protection of People’s Rights, then as Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Investigation of Anticonstitutional Activities, and Deputy Chairman of the Anti-recessionary Commission.

In 1996-1998 he was teaching at the Juridical Department of the Moscow State Open University. Specialized on problems of computer information and Internet use in criminal investigation. In joint authorship with Victor Naumov developed methodical aids in those issues. During this period also was Deputy Director of the Monitoring and Inspection Service of the Federal Commission for Securities Market. Is an expert in ICT use, information security, legal aspects of information technologies use.

Participated in activities related to E-Moscow city target program and in the elaboration of the Concept of Free Software Development and Use in Russia. Was one of authors of the draft model law "On the Internet".