A former U.S. defense contractor who spent nearly two decades mishandling classified information at the NSA and other intelligence agencies has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of illegal retention of national security information.

The group has become virtually untraceable since September 2015.

With President Donald Trump's move to elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a Combatant Command, the Fort Meade-based outfit is on track for additional funding dollars and a bump in acquisition authorities, which experts believe will translate into the development of new programs and therefore a cadre of opportunities for private defense contractors.

The companies operate in a hazardous legal environment where they must constantly balance operational risks and client interests while maintaining law enforcement's trust.

A cloud of legal uncertainty hangs over a cohort of private companies that hope to receive software vulnerability information from WikiLeaks, according to top national security lawyers.

A small group of academics and security contractors are experimenting with quantum computing technologies to counter and attribute cyberattacks. Last week, D-Wave, a leader in the nascent field of quantum computing, sold a state-of-the-art computer system to Temporal Defense Systems, or TDS, a cybersecurity firm led predominately by former law enforcement executives. Former FBI Deputy Assistant Director James Burrell is TDS’ chief technology officer and operations chief Kristy Kottis previously served as supervisor to the FBI’s Threat Response Squad of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.