Honeywell Aerospace Settles Cybersecurity Lapses on Pentagon Contracts
Honeywell Aerospace, a Phoenix-based company that became an independent entity on June 29, 2026, has agreed to pay $2.042 million to settle allegations of non-compliance with cybersecurity standards required for U.S. Department of Defense contracts.
The settlement resolves claims that Honeywell submitted false claims for payment between April 2020 and December 2023 without adhering to National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171, a mandatory federal cybersecurity framework.
A former employee, Rachel Tenney, filed the whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act's qui tam provisions, allowing private citizens to sue on behalf of the federal government when they suspect fraud. As a result of the settlement, Tenney will receive $375,823 as her individual statutory share.
Cybersecurity requirements are in place for a reason, according to U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson: 'Companies that seek and profit off of government contracts have an obligation to ensure sensitive data is protected.'