SEC drops case against SolarWinds tied to monumental breach | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The SEC on Thursday dropped its case against SolarWinds and its chief information security officer over its handling of an alleged Russian cyberespionage campaign uncovered in 2020.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SEC drops case against SolarWinds tied to monumental breach\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The SEC on Thursday dropped its case against SolarWinds and its chief information security officer over its handling of an alleged Russian cyberespionage campaign uncovered in 2020.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach\/\"> <meta 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class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"30.421875\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach\/\"> <span>Government<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/86912\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> The SolarWinds Corp. logo is seen at the headquarters in Austin, Texas on April 15, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO\/AFP via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"16.381390593047\"><body readability=\"34.40510053948\"><\/p>\n<p>The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday dropped its case against SolarWinds and its chief information security officer over its handling of an alleged Russian cyberespionage campaign uncovered in 2020, an incident that penetrated at least nine federal agencies and hundreds of companies.<\/p>\n<p>The SEC\u2019s decision brings to a halt one of the more divisive steps under the Biden administration to hold companies\u2019 feet to the fire over their security failings, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2023\/10\/31\/what-know-about-secs-case-against-solarwinds\/\">groundbreaking suit<\/a> that a judge last year <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/judge-dismisses-much-of-sec-suit-against-solarwinds-over-cybersecurity-disclosures\/\">dismissed in significant measure<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It comes the same day the Federal Communications Commission <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/fcc-cybersecurity-vote-china-hack-telecoms-anna-gomez\/\">rescinded Biden-era cyber regulations<\/a> the FCC wrote in response to another major cyberespionage campaign that saw alleged Chinese hackers infiltrate telecommunications carriers.<\/p>\n<p>Two years ago the SEC took action against SolarWinds and its CISO, Tim Brown, over claims that it didn\u2019t adequately disclose the Sunburst attack that began in 2019, as well as over other security assertions the company made.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/enforcement-litigation\/litigation-releases\/lr-26423\">The SEC litigation notice<\/a> Thursday didn\u2019t explain why it had dropped the case. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment beyond the notice.<\/p>\n<p>A SolarWinds spokesperson said the company welcomed the SEC decision. The mere threat of SEC action two years ago had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2023\/06\/29\/sec-notices-spark-alarm-cyber-executives\/\">panicked some cyber executives<\/a> who said it could create a chilling effect to disclose cyber information.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe fought with conviction, arguing that the facts demonstrated our team acted appropriately \u2014 this outcome is a welcome vindication of that position,\u201d the spokesperson said in a statement about how it was \u201cdelighted\u201d on behalf of the company and Brown. \u201cWe hope this resolution eases the concerns many CISOs have voiced about this case and the potential chilling effect it threatened to impose on their work. With the case now resolved, we look forward to focusing without distraction on delivering exceptional value to our customers through our market-leading software and solutions, emphasizing security and innovation at every step.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"7.7216117216117\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Tim Starks\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-card__details\" readability=\"10.901098901099\">\n<h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Tim Starks<\/h4>\n<p> Tim Starks is senior reporter at CyberScoop. His previous stops include working at The Washington Post, POLITICO and Congressional Quarterly. An Evansville, Ind. native, he’s covered cybersecurity since 2003. Email Tim here: <a href=\"mailto:tim.starks@cyberscoop.com\">tim.starks@cyberscoop.com<\/a>. <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div 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{"id":8145,"date":"2025-11-20T17:18:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T23:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=86912"},"modified":"2025-11-20T17:18:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T23:18:45","slug":"sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/20\/sec-drops-case-against-solarwinds-tied-to-monumental-breach\/","title":{"rendered":"SEC drops case against SolarWinds tied to monumental breach"},"content":{"rendered":"