Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

Uber’s former security chief found guilty of hiding 2016 data breach

Uber’s former security chief found guilty of hiding 2016 data breach

The Uber verdict marks a rare instance where a corporate information security officer was criminally charged with failing to disclose a hacking
Uber’s former security chief on Wednesday was found guilty of hiding a 2016 data breach from authorities and obstructing a Federal Trade Commission investigation into the company’s security practices, according to reports.

Joe Sullivan, 53, who headed security for Facebook before joining Uber, was found guilty in San Francisco federal court after a three-week trial. It marked a rare instance where a corporate information security officer was criminally charged with failing to disclose a hacking.

In his opening argument, Andrew Dawson, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of California told the court this case was "about cover-up, about payoff and about lies," The Wall Street Journal reported.

A federal judge ruled over the summer that Sullivan must face wire fraud charges over his purported involvement in attempting to cover up the 2016 hacking, exposing personal information of 57 million of the company's drivers and passengers.

The Department of Justice said Sullivan arranged to pay $100,000 in hush money to two hackers, while also trying to hide the hacking from drivers, passengers, and the FTC.

A federal judge rejected Sullivan's claim that prosecutors failed to adequately argue he concealed the hacking in an effort to ensure that Uber drivers would not flee and would continue making service fee payments.

The judge also rejected Sullivan's assertion that those who were allegedly hacked were Uber's then-CEO Travis Kalanick and the company's general counsel, but no drivers.

Sullivan was initially indicted for his role in the scheme in September 2020.

Uber had a bounty program created to reward security researchers who report flaws. The program was not, however, designed to conceal data thefts.

The ride-sharing company's current CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, terminated Sullivan's employment after learning about the extent of his breach.

The company paid $148 million in September 2018 to settle claims by all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., with each alleging Uber was too slow to disclose the hacking.

Sullivan faces as much as eight years in prison and $500,000 in fines, but U.S. District Judge William Orrick has yet to set a sentencing date.

FOX Business has reached out to Uber and Sullivan's attorney for comment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×