The Department of Defense (“DoD”) recently announced it will be revamping the nascent Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (“CMMC”) program pending two separate rulemaking processes. As detailed below, the DoD will be updating “the program structure and the requirements to streamline and improve implementation of the CMMC program.” We will be monitoring the rulemaking process for […]
About Jon Knight
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,” […]
Biden Administration To Issue Cybersecurity “Performance Goals” For Critical Infrastructure
Yesterday, the Biden Administration issued a National Security Memorandum on Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems (“Memorandum”). A short summary is below. However, the primary take away is that the government will be establishing preliminary cybersecurity performance goals for certain industries no later than September 2021. While we do not yet know what these […]
U.S. and Allies Formally Accuse China of Microsoft Hack and Cyberespionage
On July 19, 2021, the Biden administration, along with a group of allies publicly accused the Chinese government of malicious cyber activities and irresponsible state behavior. The joint announcement states the U.S. uncovered a wide array of cyberattacks by hackers with a history of working for the China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). Importantly, the […]
The Supreme Court Narrows The Scope of The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Today, the Supreme Court issued a long-awaited decision in Van Buren v. United States interpreting the meaning of “exceeds authorized access” under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”). The 6-3 majority, led by Justice Barrett and joined by Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, rejected the Government’s broad definition of this phrase. While […]