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Lawsuit: Georgia Tech Didn’t Enforce Cybersecurity Rules

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Lawsuit: Georgia Tech Didn’t Enforce Cybersecurity Rules


(TNS) — The federal government is alleging Georgia Tech and its research arm didn’t follow enforcement of cybersecurity rules for U.S. Department of Defense contracts.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia filed a 99-page “complaint-in-intervention” Thursday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The filing lays out the reasons the federal government joined a whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2022 by one former employee and one current employee of Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity team.

The complaint alleges Georgia Tech, through its Georgia Tech Research Corp., entered numerous contracts over the years and that, according to a former employee, “there was, for years, ‘no enforcement’ of cybersecurity regulations.”


The filing alleges that the issue stemmed from Georgia Tech’s desire to accommodate researchers who found the cybersecurity rules to be “burdensome” and that school administrators gave into researcher demands because of the money generated from government contracts.

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“Put simply, according to these former employees, the researchers who brought in significant government contracting money were considered the equivalent of ‘star quarterbacks’ and thus could use their ‘power on campus’ to push back against compliance with federal cybersecurity rules,” the complaint states.

Georgia Tech said it is “extremely disappointed by the Department of Justice’s filing, which misrepresents Georgia Tech’s culture of innovation and integrity.”

“Their complaint is entirely off base, and we will vigorously dispute it in court,” the Atlanta school said, in a Thursday statement.

Georgia Tech also said: “This case has nothing to do with confidential information or protected government secrets. The government told Georgia Tech that it was conducting research that did not require cybersecurity restrictions, and the government itself publicized Georgia Tech’s groundbreaking research findings. In fact, in this case, there was no breach of information, and no data leaked.”

The case was initially brought more than two years ago by Christopher Craig, identified in Thursday’s court filing as an enterprise security architect who has worked at Georgia Tech since 2003. The other whistleblower plaintiff, Kyle Koza, worked at Georgia Tech from 2011 to 2022, the complaint states.

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The complaint asks for civil penalties, damages and other costs.

“Cybersecurity compliance by government contractors is critical in safeguarding U.S. information and systems against threats posed by malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, in a written statement. “For this reason, we expect contractors to abide by cybersecurity requirements in their contracts and grants, regardless of the size or type of the organization or the number of contracts involved.”

© 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.





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Created in a small Georgia town, a cup has become 1 of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs

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Created in a small Georgia town, a cup has become 1 of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs


They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.

Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.

“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.

The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.

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“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.

Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.

“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.

Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.

The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.

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Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.

“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.

Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.

“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.

So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.

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Mayor Kelly Girtz Inducted Into Georgia Municipal Hall of Fame

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Mayor Kelly Girtz Inducted Into Georgia Municipal Hall of Fame


Kelly Girtz (second from left) recently became the first Athens mayor in 40 years to be inducted into the Georgia Municipal Government Hall of Fame in Savannah.  The Georgia Municipal cited Girtz’s work on housing affordability, economic development, transportation, environmental sustainability, literacy and preserving local Black history. Under his leadership, Athens-Clarke County has made significant progress in housing affordability, economic development, transportation, and environmental sustainability. In 2022, the community adopted an inclusionary zoning policy designed to expand affordable housing options and encourage thoughtful, equitable growth. He has also championed redevelopment initiatives that have created new mixed-income housing opportunities and strengthened neighborhoods throughout the community. “Mayor Kelly Girtz has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to building a community where every resident has […]



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Athlon Sports tabs Florida-Georgia among SEC’s best games in 2026

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Athlon Sports tabs Florida-Georgia among SEC’s best games in 2026


Athlon Sports projected the best SEC games for each week of the 2026 regular season.

The conference features some of the most compelling matchups in all of college football, from opening weekend through rivalry week. The selections emphasize games anticipated to have the biggest impact on the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.

Florida’s annual clash with Georgia was tabbed as one of the SEC’s premier fixtures. The game has grown in national significance since it began in 1904, continuing as a battle of blue-blood programs that routinely produces iconic results. The game temporarily moves to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during the Jacksonville stadium renovations.

The Jon Sumrall era carries with it an increasing sense of belief — many experts see the Gators as a dark-horse CFB playoff contender. Regardless of its final win-loss record, UF will play a part in shaping the season’s narrative as they face several post-season favorites in Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma.

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Noted in the article is the SEC’s depth and newly implemented nine-game conference schedule. Georgia, Texas, Alabama and LSU appear multiple times on this list, with Georgia facing Alabama in Week 6 and Ole Miss in Week 10 while LSU hosts Clemson in Week 1 and will see Texas in Week 11 take on Alabama.

Many contenders from the SEC face multiple nationally relevant foes over the course of the season.

Athlon Sports’ Best game for every week of the 2026 season

  • Week 1: Clemson at LSU (Sept. 5)
  • Week 2: Ohio State at Texas (Sept. 12)
  • Week 3: LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 19)
  • Week 4: Oklahoma at Georgia (Sept. 26)
  • Week 5: Auburn at Tennessee (Oct. 3)
  • Week 6: Georgia at Alabama (Oct. 10)
  • Week 7: Alabama at Tennessee (Oct. 17)
  • Week 8: Ole Miss at Texas (Oct. 24)
  • Week 9: Florida vs. Georgia (Atlanta) (Oct. 31)
  • Week 10: Georgia at Ole Miss (Nov. 7)
  • Week 11: Texas at LSU (Nov. 14)
  • Week 12: Texas A&M at Oklahoma (Nov. 21)
  • Week 13: Texas at Texas A&M (Friday) (Nov. 27)

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.





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