Former Accenture Employee Charged with Cybersecurity Fraud Affecting Government Contracts
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Danielle Hillmer, a former senior manager at Accenture, with cybersecurity fraud. Hillmer, 53, from Chantilly, Virginia, is accused of lying about a cloud platform's compliance with Department of Defense security requirements. Between March 2020 and November 2021, Hillmer allegedly concealed security deficiencies in the platform and instructed others to do the same, affecting audits and compliance with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) and the Department of Defense’s Risk Management Framework. The indictment claims she falsely represented that the platform had implemented necessary security controls, such as access controls and monitoring, to secure government contracts. This activity was disclosed by Accenture in a 2023 SEC filing, which led to a government investigation. Hillmer faces charges of wire fraud, major government fraud, and obstruction of a federal audit, with potential decades-long prison sentences if convicted. 
