On July 8, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $9 million
settlement with federal government contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc. for
alleged violations of the False Claims Act in a case pending in the Eastern
District of California. The settlement results from alleged false
statements by Aerojet related to compliance with Department of Defense
cybersecurity requirements described in DoD Federal Acquisition Regulation
Supplement clause 252.204-7012 and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement clause
1852.204-76. The settlement further underscores DOJ’s commitment to FCA
enforcement actions involving cybersecurity considerations related to its
Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative announced in October 2021. The settlement
serves as a clear reminder to contractors that DOJ and the plaintiffs’ qui tam bar are taking the Cyber-Fraud Initiative seriously.

Read on to learn why a close understanding of and adherence to federal
agency contractual cybersecurity requirements are important mandates for
the government contracting community broadly and the defense industrial
base in particular.

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Photo of Edwin O. Childs Edwin O. Childs

As a leader of the firm’s Defense, National Security and Government Contracting industry team, Ned Childs is a government contract and investigations and enforcement attorney who represents companies across a wide range of sectors, including the defense, services, technology, and aerospace industries. His…

As a leader of the firm’s Defense, National Security and Government Contracting industry team, Ned Childs is a government contract and investigations and enforcement attorney who represents companies across a wide range of sectors, including the defense, services, technology, and aerospace industries. His practice, spanning more than a decade in Washington, encompasses a broad array of legal services, including government contract investigations, disclosures, and regulatory enforcement actions; bid protests and government contract disputes; government contract counseling; export licensing and enforcement; prime contractor-subcontractor disputes; corporate ownership and acquisition issues; and election law investigations and enforcement matters.

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Photo of Todd R. Steggerda Todd R. Steggerda

Todd Steggerda serves as McGuireWoods’ Deputy Managing Partner for Strategic Development, following service as the deputy managing partner for litigation where he oversaw and managed the firm’s litigation departments and roughly 500 litigators in the U.S. and the UK. He is the former…

Todd Steggerda serves as McGuireWoods’ Deputy Managing Partner for Strategic Development, following service as the deputy managing partner for litigation where he oversaw and managed the firm’s litigation departments and roughly 500 litigators in the U.S. and the UK. He is the former chair of the firm’s Government Investigations and White Collar Litigation Department, which Law360 recently selected for its prestigious “Practice Group of the Year” award. In a dynamic practice spanning nearly 25 years in Washington, Todd has resolved a diverse range of high-stakes government investigations, regulatory enforcement, and litigation matters, including dozens of matters investigated by the civil and criminal divisions of the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, and numerous other federal and state agencies and investigative bodies.

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Photo of Abram J. Pafford Abram J. Pafford

Abe focuses his practice on protecting the rights and interests of companies and individuals who face disputes or conflicts with the federal government in its role as purchaser, prosecutor, and chief regulator. For more than twenty years, Abe has represented government contractors, participants…

Abe focuses his practice on protecting the rights and interests of companies and individuals who face disputes or conflicts with the federal government in its role as purchaser, prosecutor, and chief regulator. For more than twenty years, Abe has represented government contractors, participants in regulated industries, and companies and individuals targeted for federal investigation or prosecution, consistently achieving successful results for clients confronting difficult odds.

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Photo of Andrew Konia Andrew Konia

Andrew’s practice is singularly focused on protecting clients’ businesses and data, anticipating disputes, and strengthening their competitive position in the marketplace. As chair of the firm’s data privacy and security team, Andrew leads a nationally recognized team of professionals dedicated to protecting clients’…

Andrew’s practice is singularly focused on protecting clients’ businesses and data, anticipating disputes, and strengthening their competitive position in the marketplace. As chair of the firm’s data privacy and security team, Andrew leads a nationally recognized team of professionals dedicated to protecting clients’ systems, networks and data, managing information, and responding to cyber incidents.

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Photo of Jason M. Vespoli Jason M. Vespoli

Jason focuses his practice on federal and state procurement, government technology, bid protests and government contract disputes, and regulatory compliance. He utilizes experience in state government, government technology, and complex procurement to solve problems in innovative and efficient ways.

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