The US government has filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and its affiliate Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) for alleged cybersecurity violations.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has joined a whistleblower to file a “complaint-in-intervention” against the institutions for “knowingly” failing to implement cybersecurity controls as required by their Department of Defense (DoD) contract.
This contract related to research to be performed at Georgia Tech on behalf of the US government agency.
Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, current and former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity team, initiated the whistleblower suit.
The case represents the first lawsuit under the DoJ’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, launched in October 2021, to hold government contractors and grantees for failing to comply with regulatory or contractual cybersecurity requirements under the False Claims Act.
This act permits the US government to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating whistleblower cases.
Georgia Tech Accused of Numerous Cybersecurity Violations
The lawsuit alleges numerous severe cybersecurity violations by Georgia Tech’s Astrovalos Lab, a computer security group in the university.
The lab was accused of failing to develop and implement a system security plan as required by DoD regulations until at least February 2020. When it finally implemented a plan in February 2020, Georgia Tech allegedly failed to properly scope it to include all covered laptops, desktops, and servers.
Additionally, until December 2021, Astrolavos Lab allegedly failed to install, update or run anti-virus or anti-malware tools on its desktops, laptops, servers and networks.
The lawsuit claims that Georgia Tech approved the lab’s refusal to install anti-virus software to satisfy the demands of a professor who headed the lab.
This is despite the use of anti-virus and anti-malware tools being a DoD requirement and Georgia Tech’s policy.
The US government further alleged that in December 2020, Georgia Tech and the GTRC submitted a false cybersecurity assessment score to DoD for the Georgia Tech campus.
The submission of this score was a condition of contract award for Georgia Tech’s DoD contracts. However, the government believes the summary level score of 98 submitted by Georgia Tech was false because:
- The institution did not have a campus-wide IT system
- The score was for a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment that did not apply to any covered contracting system at Georgia Tech.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, Head of the DoJ’s Civil Division, commented: “Government contractors that fail to implement required cybersecurity controls fully jeopardize the confidentiality of sensitive government information.”
“The department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative was designed to identify such contractors and to hold them accountable,” he added.
Georgia Tech to “Vigorously Dispute” the Allegations
In a statement, Georgia Tech expressed its disappointment at the DoJ’s allegations and vowed to “vigorously dispute” them in court.
“This case has nothing to do with confidential information or protected government secrets. The government told Georgia Tech that it was conducting research that did not require cybersecurity restrictions, and the government itself publicized Georgia Tech’s groundbreaking research findings,” the university said.
“In fact, there was no information breach in this case, and no data leaked. Despite the misguided action by the Department of Justice, Georgia Tech remains committed to strong cybersecurity and continuing its collaborative relationship with the DoD and other federal agencies,” Georgia Tech added.
In November 2022, research commissioned by CyberSheath found that 87% of US defence contractors fail to meet basic cybersecurity regulation requirements.
Source:
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/georgia-tech-sued-cybersecurity
Latest News:
- Highline Public Schools Forced to Close By Cyber-Attack
A cyber-attack forced a group of schools in the US Pacific Northwest to close for at least two days. Highline Public Schools has more than 17,500 students in grades K-12. The district has 34 schools and 2,000 staff in Washington State. On Sunday, the school district reported that it had suffered a cyber-attack and that … - Cyber-Attack on Payment Gateway Exposes 1.7 Million Credit Card Details
Electronic payment gateway Slim CD has been hit by a cyber-attack, potentially exposing the credit card details of 1.7 million individuals. The firm, which handles electronic payments for US and Canadian-based merchants, revealed that it became aware of suspicious activity in its computer environment around June 15, 2024. A subsequent investigation identified system access between … - Most Targeted DDoS Attacks Double With GovernmentsNew research says the number of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks continues to grow, doubling year over year (YoY). According to StormWall’s DDoS Attacks Report, attacks globally rose by 102% in the first half of this year compared to 2023. The government sector was the most brutal hit, with a 116% YoY increase. StormWall says …
- Ransomware Attacks Exposed 6.7 Million Records in US Schools
Ransomware attacks on US schools and colleges have surged in recent years, with 491 incidents recorded since 2018. These attacks impacted over 8,000 educational institutions and exposed 6.7 million individual records. According to a new report by Comparitech, estimated costs exceed $2.5b in downtime alone as schools struggle to restore systems, recover data and strengthen cybersecurity measures. … - Georgia Tech Sued Over Cybersecurity Violations
The US government has filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and its affiliate Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) for alleged cybersecurity violations. The Department of Justice (DoJ) has joined a whistleblower to file a “complaint-in-intervention” against the institutions for “knowingly” failing to implement cybersecurity controls as required by their Department of Defense (DoD) contract. This contract related to …
Latest Blogs:
- Can Antivirus Detect Ransomware?Ransomware is a cybercrime that encrypts a victim’s IT system files until a ransom is paid. As ransomware threats become more common, the Question will be whether traditional antivirus software can detect and prevent them. In this blog, we will discuss how antivirus programs identify ransomware and explore steps that can be taken to enhance …
- Can AI Replace Cybersecurity Jobs?In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cybersecurity becomes increasingly critical as we rely more on digital systems for tasks such as hospital bookings and travel ticketing. With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, there is a growing question of whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) can replace cybersecurity jobs. While AI offers powerful tools to combat cybercrime, it …
- How to Secure Your Website from a Cyber Attack in 2024Cyber attacks are a constant threat in today’s digital world, and websites are a prime target. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your website’s security and make it harder for attackers to succeed. In this blog post, we’ll explore key security measures you can implement to fortify your website in 2024. Shielding …
