Honeywell Settles $2.04 Million FCA Claim Over Cybersecurity Noncompliance
Honeywell Aerospace Inc., a US-based defense contractor, has agreed to pay $2.04 million to resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in a US Department of Defense contract.
The allegations stem from a qui tam complaint filed by former employee Rachel Tenney in 2022, which claimed that Honeywell's business unit submitted false claims for payment by failing to comply with the controls in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 on one of its networks.
The case highlights the importance of compliance with cybersecurity standards, particularly for contractors handling covered defense information under DFARS 252.204-7012.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate emphasized that contractors must follow required cybersecurity standards when administering contracts that involve defense information.