Uber paid hackers $100,000 to keep data breach a secret
New Delhi, Nov 22 (IBNS) : Uber Technologies Inc paid hackers 100,000 Dollars to keep secret a massive breach last year that exposed the data of some 57 million customers, the company said.
This week, the ride-hailing firm ousted its chief security officer and one of his deputies for their roles in keeping the hack under wraps for more than one year.
The stolen data included names, email addresses and phone numbers of Uber riders around the world, the company told Bloomberg on Tuesday.
"Some personal information of 57 million Uber users around the world, including the drivers described above. This information included names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement.
The personal information of about 7 million drivers was accessed as well, including some 600,000 U.S. driver’s license numbers.
However, Uber said no Social Security numbers, credit card information, trip location details or other data were taken.
Uber in its statement to Bloomberg denied to reveal the identities of the attackers and assured that the information stolen was not used for nefarious purposes.
Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over the reins of the company following the departure of Travis Kalanick, said, "none of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it."
"We are changing the way we do business," he added.
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