At the heels of a recent Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative related to cybersecurity practices and the False Claims Act (FCA), a cybersecurity-related FCA case has survived a motion for summary judgment, teeing up a trial to determine if the defendants’ cybersecurity compliance disclosures were materially incomplete and if any misstatements were knowingly made. On February 1, […]
Russia Arrests Suspected Members of REvil Ransomware Gang
Russia’s Federal Security Service (“FSB”) issued a press release on January 14, 2022 claiming that it dismantled the REvil ransomware gang by arresting 14 suspected members and seizing computer equipment, luxury vehicles, bitcoin, and fiat currency valued at over $1 million. REvil is a notorious cybercriminal organization that claimed responsibility for a ransomware attack last […]
CISA Releases Warning of Destructive Malware Targeting Ukrainian Organizations
On January 16, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a warning regarding destructive malware targeting Ukrainian organizations, including Ukrainian government agencies. The malware was found in multiple government, non-profit, and information technology organizations, all based in Ukraine. CISA’s warning comes on the heels of a separate targeted attack […]
Department of Justice Announces New Civil Fraud Cybersecurity Enforcement Team
On October 6, 2021, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced the launch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative. The Department plans to use civil enforcement tools to “pursue…those who are government contractors who receive federal funds, when they fail to follow required cybersecurity standards.” Stating the Department will pursue “very hefty fines,” […]
Key Takeaways from OFAC’s Updated Ransomware Advisory
On September 21, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued an “Updated Advisory on Potential Sanctions Risks for Facilitating Ransomware Payments.” While this advisory explicitly supersedes OFAC’s previous ransomware advisory from October 2020, it does not fundamentally alter OFAC’s approach towards ransom payments. Like the prior guidance, OFAC’s […]