On the Cyber Frontier of IoT Security
Client Alert | 1 min read | 04.11.18
In the Interagency Report on Status of International Cybersecurity Standardization for the Internet of Things (IoT), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) performed an extensive survey of current cybersecurity standards applicable or potentially applicable to IoT devices. Among the many key findings and discussions, some of the more notable are: (1) NIST elected not to define IoT due to the many varying definitions already in the field (see Annex A); (2) NIST used several functional IoT applications (connected vehicles, consumer devices, health/medical devices, smart buildings and smart manufacturing) to assess current cyber standards and gaps; (3) NIST recognized that no one-size-fits-all standards exist, as specific sectors will have differing risk scenarios and security objectives, thus requiring cyber standards to be tailored; and (4) IoT security should be built around eleven core areas of cybersecurity standardization. Also, NIST is looking for your comments on draft NISTIR 8200 by April 18. To learn more, join us at the IoT National Institute on May 9-10 in Washington, D.C.
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Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25
On November 7, 2025, in Thornton v. National Academy of Sciences, No. 25-cv-2155, 2025 WL 3123732 (D.D.C. Nov. 7, 2025), the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act (FCA) retaliation complaint on the basis that the plaintiff’s allegations that he was fired after blowing the whistle on purported illegally discriminatory use of federal funding was not sufficient to support his FCA claim. This case appears to be one of the first filed, and subsequently dismissed, following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement of the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on May 19, 2025, which “strongly encourages” private individuals to file lawsuits under the FCA relating to purportedly discriminatory and illegal use of federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in violation of Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025). In this case, the court dismissed the FCA retaliation claim and rejected the argument that an organization could violate the FCA merely by “engaging in discriminatory conduct while conducting a federally funded study.” The analysis in Thornton could be a sign of how forthcoming arguments of retaliation based on reporting allegedly fraudulent DEI activity will be analyzed in the future.
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.19.25
