By: Sara McLean, Angela B. Styles, Marta A. Thompson, Evan D. Wolff, Laura Hill, Alexis Ward
In remarks delivered on January 28, 2026, at the American Conference Institute’s Advanced Forum on False Claims and Qui Tam Enforcement, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna Jenny highlighted the Administration’s achievements and continued commitment to civil cyber-fraud enforcement.
Jenny, the political official overseeing nationwide False Claims Act enforcement, noted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recovered $52 million across nine FCA cyber settlements last year, a “significant upward trajectory.” She observed whistleblowers have continued to play a large role in cyber-fraud cases specifically. And she explained, cyber-fraud cases are “not about data breaches,” but are instead “premised on misrepresentations.”
Her remarks confirm Akin’s own experience, including that of partner Sara McLean who led and supervised DOJ civil cyber-fraud enforcement before joining the firm in November 2025.
When the prior administration launched the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative in October 2021, it announced that it planned to use the FCA and its treble damages and penalties, to pursue those who knowingly make or cause false claims to the government through violations of cybersecurity obligations of government contractors and grantees. DOJ gave examples of the misconduct it planned to pursue:
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