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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →On July 22, 2019, Cisco agreed to pay $8.6 million to the U.S. government, the District of Columbia and 15 states to resolve allegations that its Video Surveillance Manager software had serious security flaws when sold to government customers. The case was brought under the federal False Claims Act by whistleblower James Glenn. The settlement resolved the claims; it was not a court finding that Cisco committed fraud, and the cited reporting does not establish that anyone accessed customers’ video without authorization.
What was the Cisco whistleblower case about?
The complaint alleged that Cisco sold its Video Surveillance Manager (VSM) software to federal, state and local government purchasers despite serious vulnerabilities. According to the Associated Press, Glenn discovered the flaws in 2008 while working for Danish Cisco reseller NetDesign and alerted Cisco. The claim was brought under the False Claims Act, which allows private individuals to bring certain fraud claims on behalf of the government.
AP reported that Glenn’s attorneys said an attacker exploiting the flaw could gain full administrative access to the video management software and potentially reach connected systems important to physical security. Michael Ronickher, an attorney representing Glenn, characterized the alleged exploit this way: “You could penetrate the entire system. And you could do that without any trace. And have complete backdoor access to the system whenever you wanted.” That is counsel’s description, not a judicial finding or a result of independent testing described in the report.
How the case unfolded
- 2008: AP reported that Glenn found the vulnerabilities while employed by NetDesign in Denmark and alerted Cisco.
- March 2009: NetDesign fired Glenn, citing cost reduction, according to the lawsuit as described by AP.
- 2011: Glenn’s lawyers said the federal investigation began this year. AP also reported that Glenn’s sister notified the FBI and that a lawsuit was filed two years after his termination.
- 2013: Cisco issued a security alert acknowledging multiple vulnerabilities, according to AP.
- July 22, 2019: The federal government, the District of Columbia and 15 states settled with Cisco for $8.6 million, AP reported.
- July 31, 2019: Constantine Cannon, the law firm representing Glenn, announced the settlement and described it as resolving False Claims Act allegations.
What the settlement amount and whistleblower share mean
The reported settlement total was $8.6 million. AP reported that Glenn’s lawyers said he would receive 20% of that amount. That share is a statement attributed to his counsel, not a separately confirmed payment record. The $8.6 million figure is the amount reported for this 2019 settlement, not a finding about damages after a trial.
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What Cisco said—and what the settlement does not establish
As quoted by AP, Cisco said it was “pleased to have resolved” the dispute and said there was “no allegation or evidence that any unauthorized access to customers’ video occurred” because of the product’s architecture. Cisco also acknowledged that video feeds could “theoretically have been subject to hacking.”
The distinction matters: the case concerned allegations about the security of software sold to government buyers, while the cited account does not establish that customer footage was actually viewed by an unauthorized person. Nor does settlement alone establish that Cisco admitted fraud or that a court found it liable.
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Who reportedly used the software?
AP listed the Pentagon, Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, FEMA, police stations, prisons, schools, Amtrak and commercial airports among reported users. It named Los Angeles International Airport and Chicago’s Midway Airport, and said Glenn’s lawyer identified Auckland Airport among international locations. These are deployments reported by AP and attributed in part to counsel, not an independently audited inventory.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the case drew attention
Glenn’s lawyers described the matter as the first successfully litigated cybersecurity False Claims Act case. That characterization belongs to counsel; the cited reporting does not independently establish a definitive historical first. More broadly, the case drew attention because it applied a government-fraud law to allegations that a technology vendor supplied software with serious security weaknesses to public-sector customers.
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Sources: Associated Press report syndicated by SecurityWeek; Constantine Cannon’s settlement announcement.
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