Ex-Uber security chief sentenced over covering up hack

Uber's erstwhile main information serviceman has avoided jailhouse and been sentenced to 3 years' probation for covering up a cyber-attack from authorities.

Joseph Sullivan was recovered blameworthy of paying hackers $100,000 (£79,000) aft they gained entree to 57 cardinal records of Uber customers, including names and telephone numbers.

He indispensable besides wage a good of $50,000, and service 200 hours of assemblage service.

Prosecutors primitively asked for a 15-month situation sentence.

Sullivan was besides recovered blameworthy of obstructing an probe from the Federal Trade Commission.

According to the Wall Street Journal, justice William Orrick said helium was showing Sullivan leniency partially due to the fact that this was the archetypal lawsuit of its kind, but besides due to the fact that of his character.

"If determination are more, radical should expect to walk clip successful custody, careless of anything, and I anticipation everybody present recognises that," helium said.

Sullivan began his relation arsenic Uber's main information serviceman successful 2015.

In November 2016, the attackers who targeted Uber emailed Sullivan and told him they had stolen a ample magnitude of data, which they would delete successful instrumentality for a ransom, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

Staff moving for Sullivan confirmed data, including records of 57 cardinal Uber users and 600,000 driving licence numbers, had been stolen.

According to the DOJ, Sullivan arranged for the hackers to beryllium paid $100,000 successful speech for them signing non-disclosure agreements to not uncover the hack to anyone.

The hackers were paid successful December 2016, disguised arsenic a "bug bounty" - a reward utilized to wage cyber-security researchers who disclose vulnerabilities truthful they tin beryllium fixed.

The hackers subsequently faced conspiracy charges successful 2019 and pleaded guilty.