A former Uber security chief was convicted of concealing a 2016 data breach from law enforcement

A federal jury found former Uber security chief Joe Sullivan guilty on Wednesday of charges that he failed to notify law enforcement authorities of a breach of driver and customer records.

While the Federal Trade Commission was looking into Uber for a previous online system breach, Sullivan learned of a new breach that had affected the Uber accounts of more than 57 million users, including both drivers and passengers.

Sullivan was found guilty by the jury of one count of obstructing the FTC’s investigation and one count of misprision or acting to hide a crime from law enforcement.

The case, which is thought to be the first instance in which a company executive has been criminally prosecuted due to a hack, could alter how security experts respond to data breaches.

This will have an effect on how responsibilities are allocated. This will have an effect on what has been documented. This will have an effect on how bug bounty programs are created, according to Chinmayi Sharma, a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and a scholar in residence at the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law.

In the course of Friday’s trial for Sullivan, the jury of six men and six women deliberated for more than 19 hours before rendering a decision.

Sullivan’s attorney David Angeli said, “While we obviously disagree with the jury’s decision, we appreciate their commitment and effort in this case.” “Throughout his illustrious career and in this incident, Mr. Sullivan’s sole concern has been ensuring the safety of people’s personal data on the internet.”

FAQ

• Who is the federal jury’s former Uber security chief?

Ans.  Joe Sullivan

• How many people were affected by the new breach?

Ans. 57 million 

• Who is Chinmay Sharma?

Ans. A lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law