Uber Fesses Up to Cyber Attack That Affected 57 Million Users
Last year, Uber, the popular on-demand car service, was apparently hacked. Didn't know about it? Well, that's because they didn't want you to.
Time.com reports the company finally came clean about the cyber attack — and the subsequent cover-up — on Tuesday. Personal information, including email addresses and phone numbers, were stolen from roughly 57 million Uber users. Credit cards and social security numbers were apparently not compromised.
Uber customers, however, were not the only ones affected. Time.com also reports that the driver's license numbers of 600,000 Uber drivers were stolen as well.
According to The Guardian, Uber confirmed it had "paid the hackers responsible $100,000 to delete the data and keep the breach quiet."
"None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it," says Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on the company's website. "While I can't erase the past, I can commit on behalf of every Uber employee that we will learn from our mistakes. We are changing the way we do business, putting integrity at the core of every decision we make and working hard to earn the trust of our customers."
Khosrowshahi has since let two employees go that were said to be responsible for keeping the breach under wraps. Back in June, the company's former CEO Travis Kalanick was removed from his post after he "encouraged employees to push legal limits," including sexual harassment.
Have you been affected by the Uber hack? Let us know in the comments below.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app