This month’s announcement by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) of another False Claims Act (FCA) settlement with a federal contractor offers further proof that the government continues to prioritize cybersecurity enforcement. According to DOJ’s press release, government contractor Honeywell Aerospace Inc. (Honeywell Aerospace) agreed to pay over $2 million to settle an FCA matter, which arose from allegations related to the company’s cybersecurity practices with respect to its Department of Defense contracts.
The Honeywell Settlement
Honeywell Aerospace is an Arizona-based company that provides aerospace products and solutions to government and commercial customers. A former IT employee filed a qui tam complaint after she was allegedly constructively discharged by the company for raising cybersecurity concerns related to the company’s contracts with the Department of Defense.
According to the complaint, pursuant to the contracts, Honeywell Aerospace provided the government with quantum computing services. Federal defense contractors like Honeywell Aerospace are required to implement certain cybersecurity controls outlined in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171). But, according to this lawsuit, Honeywell Aerospace failed to meet these requirements in connection with its work on the Quantum Contracts.
The complaint alleged myriad cybersecurity failings by Honeywell Aerospace with respect to the Quantum...
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