U.S. biotechnology firm Illumina has agreed to settle alleged violations of the False Claims Act stemming from the sale of vulnerable genomic sequencing systems to the government with a $9.8 million fee, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Aside from having an inadequate security program that was not able to address security flaws in genetic analysis products sold to the government between 2016 and 2023, Illumina also scrimped on spending for its product security team while making fraudulent claims about its products' adherence to federal cybersecurity standards, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Illumina has refuted the accusations, noting that it had approved the settlement in a bid to avoid further expenses and uncertainties. "This settlement underscores the importance of cybersecurity in handling genetic information and the Departments commitment to ensuring that federal contractors adhere to requirements to protect sensitive information from cyber threats," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division.
Aside from having an inadequate security program that was not able to address security flaws in genetic analysis products sold to the government between 2016 and 2023, Illumina also scrimped on spending for its product security team while making fraudulent claims about its products' adherence to federal cybersecurity standards, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Illumina has refuted the accusations, noting that it had approved the settlement in a bid to avoid further expenses and uncertainties. "This settlement underscores the importance of cybersecurity in handling genetic information and the Departments commitment to ensuring that federal contractors adhere to requirements to protect sensitive information from cyber threats," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division.
