A former intelligence official with the rank of major in the Soviet KGB, Sheymov defected to the United States in May 1980, choosing to come out of hiding a decade later.
[2] Since becoming a US citizen, Sheymov was active in the computer security industry as the CEO of Invicta Networks, a Northern Virginia-based developer of advanced cyber-security technologies.
He also published two memoirs, Tower of Secrets and "Tiebreaker," about his experiences in the KGB and life in the United States, as well as "Cyberspace and Security," and "Party Gold"—a novel that described the search for a vast sum of money spirited out of the USSR at the time of the Soviet Union's collapse.
[7] The timing was also fortunate – with counterintelligence efforts focused on the upcoming Olympic Games, Sheymov, dressed as an airline pilot, was easily able to avoid detection.
[8] Although Sheymov and his family were exfiltrated without problems, the planning had been complicated due to his busy work schedule, which included trips to Yemen and possibly other locations.
Sheymov was granted numerous patents in the United States, European Union, Australia, Japan, India, Korea, and China.
He appeared in many national news programs including Larry King Live, 48 Hours, Dateline, McNeil-Lehrer, Charlie Rose and the McLaughlin Report.