IBM, AT&T Accused of Hiding Years of Foreign Hacks to Protect Federal Contracts
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
IBM, AT&T Accused of Hiding Years of Foreign Hacks to Protect Federal Contracts
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 4
Summary
A whistleblower lawsuit alleges IBM and AT&T repeatedly failed to disclose foreign government-linked breaches of their computer systems to the US government over several years.
William Barlow, IBM’s former vice president of threat intelligence, says the companies concealed the intrusions and gave false assurances about their cybersecurity to win and retain federal contracts.
The complaint centers on alleged violations of legal disclosure duties tied to government work, turning the case from a security lapse into a potential contracting and compliance issue.
If the claims are substantiated, the allegations could expose both companies to scrutiny over how major federal contractors report cyber intrusions tied to foreign actors.