Security News > 2022 > October > Former Uber CSO convicted for covering up massive 2016 data theft

Joe Sullivan, Uber's former chief security officer, has been found guilty of illegally covering up the theft of Uber drivers and customers' personal information.

Sullivan, previously a cybercrime prosecutor for the US Department of Justice, was charged two years ago with obstruction of justice and misprision - concealing a felony from law enforcement.

Sullivan, according to court documents, learned of the theft in November 2016, about ten days after he had provided testimony to the US Federal Trade Commission about a 2014 cyberattack on Uber.

California law requires companies to disclose breaches of data security, though Sullivan was charged under federal statutes.

Evidence in the case indicates that Travis Kalanick, CEO at the time of the 2016 theft, was made aware of the cyber-pilferage shortly after Sullivan learned about it and discussed his strategy for handling it.

The two cyber-robbers involved, Brandon Charles Glover and Vasile Mereacre, pleaded guilty in 2019, and Mereacre testified at Sullivan's trial last month that he and his partner wanted to extort money from Uber.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/10/06/uber_cso_sullivan_guilty/