Ride-Hailing Company Uber Hid a Huge Data Breach for More Than a Year

Uber paid $100,000 to hackers who stole personal details of 50 million customers and 7 million drivers to delete the data and keep quiet about the hack

Author:: Edward Hardy
Publish date:: Nov 22, 2017 5:28 AM EST

Ride hailing company Uber paid $100,000 to hackers who stole personal details of 50 million customers and 7 million drivers to delete the data and keep quiet about the hack, according to published reports. The hack occurred more than a year ago, but wasn't disclosed until Tuesday, Nov. 21. Privately held Uber ousted its chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, and another employee in connection with the hack and cover up, Bloomberg reported.

Dara Khosrowshahi, who became CEO of Uber earlier this fall, said in a statement "None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it." Khosrowshahi replaced founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick, who was forced out earlier this year amid allegations he oversaw rampant sexual harassment at the company. Kalanick had learned of the hack shortly after it occurred. The incident came at a sensitive time for Uber, which had just settled a lawsuit by the New York attorney general over data security, Bloomberg reported.

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