Uber hacked! Admits to computer system breach; was customer data compromised?

The app-based cab service provider, Uber, has stated that the company was probing a "cybersecurity incident" after a hacker claimed that they had breached the computer systems of the ride-hailing giant and shared the evidence with security researchers and journalists.

Uber issued an official statement in this regard on September 15. Through its official Twitter handle, Uber informed that the company was in touch with law enforcement agencies regarding the data breach. The company stated that it would keep posting additional updates as and when they become available.

According to a recent report, the company's network was breached, due to which Uber had to close several engineering systems and internal communications. The breach was first reported by The New York Times.





The publication stated that Uber employees were asked to avoid going on Slack. The Times also said that the hacker listed the allegedly infiltrated databases. The cybercriminal compromised an employee's workplace messaging app Slack to announce that Uber had suffered a data breach, The Times added. Besides Slack, several other internal communication systems were inaccessible to Uber's employees.

Meanwhile, Slack has stated that Uber was a valued customer of the company, and they would help the ride-hailing giant if the need arises. Uber has yet to reveal what kind of data was breached and whether any user data was compromised.

However, it is not the first time that the app-based ride-hailing giant has suffered a data breach. In 2016, some hackers stole data from accounts of about 57 million uber drivers and riders. Consequently, Uber had to pay to cover up the security breach. Reportedly, Uber paid $100,000 to the hackers to get rid of the stolen data. Later in 2018, the company paid $148 million in a settlement related to the incident with attorneys general from DC and 50 states.

FAQs:

1). What is Slack?
Slack is a workplace messaging app that facilitates internal communication in companies.

2). Which kind of data did the hacker steal from Uber?
Uber has not revealed the kind of data the hacker has stolen yet.