Civil Cyber Fraud

Do You Need a Cyber-Fraud Whistleblower Attorney?

On October 6, 2021, the Department of Justice unveiled a new Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative which will be empowered to use the False Claims Act to pursue government contractors who have committed cybersecurity fraud. Civil cyber-fraud includes contractors failing to comply with the cybersecurity standards in their contract, misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices and/or failing to report suspected cyber breaches in a timely manner.

At the Aspen Institute’s Cyber Summit, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced that the new Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative will use the Department’s civil enforcement tools to pursue government contractors that “fail to follow required cybersecurity standards — because we know that puts all of us at risk. This is a tool that we have to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used appropriately and guard the public fisc and public trust.” She also ensured, “We will extract very hefty fines. We will protect whistleblowers who bring those violations and those failures forward.”

The new initiative is one part of the Biden administration’s recent effort to secure the federal government’s digital systems in the wake of the breach of SolarWinds, a government contractor, by suspected agents of the Russian government. On May 12, 2021, the President signed an executive order on “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity” which directed government agencies to strengthen their cybersecurity standards and those of the contractors that they work with.

Following the announcement of the new Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton outlined three types of cyber-fraud that would be “prime candidates” for False Claims Act cases:

  1. When a contractor has failed to comply with the cybersecurity standards in their contract
  2. When a contractor has misrepresented their cybersecurity practices to the government
  3. When a contractor has not reported a suspected breach in a timely manner

VSG Defense Contractor Fraud Lawyers Are Experienced in Handling False Claims Act Cases

If you’re aware of cyber fraud against the government and are considering becoming a whistleblower, your first step should be to consult with a cybersecurity whistleblower lawyer. Vogel, Slade, & Goldstein has vast experience representing whistleblowers in government contractor fraud lawsuits and is well positioned to assist on a matter involving false statements or false claims relating to cybersecurity. Call us for a confidential conversation at 202-537-5900.