The latest updates and analysis from Morrison Foerster
October 14, 2021 - Cybersecurity & Data Privacy

DOJ Cyber-Fraud Initiative Highlights Potential Civil Liability for Failing to Meet Federal Cybersecurity Requirements

DOJ Cyber-Fraud Initiative Highlights Potential Civil Liability for Failing to Meet Federal Cybersecurity Requirements

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has created a new Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to use the power of the False Claims Act (FCA) to initiate suits against federal contractors and grant recipients that fall short of their regulatory and contractual cybersecurity obligations. This initiative, announced on October 6, 2021, builds on the Biden administration’s efforts to protect federal government networks from cybersecurity threats and to promote notifications of incidents by federal contractors to their federal agency customers—efforts that were outlined in the President’s May 2021 Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity.

To learn more, read our client alert.