The former chief security officer of Uber has been found guilty of not reporting a data breach to federal authorities, The New York Times reported Oct. 5.
Joe Sullivan was convicted of one count of obstructing a Federal Trade Commission investigation and one count of acting to conceal a felony. It's believed to be the first time an executive has been criminally prosecuted over a data breach, according to the story.
The FTC reportedly discovered an unreported hack at Uber in 2016 while investigating an earlier cybersecurity incident at the ride-sharing service.
"We will not tolerate concealment of important information from the public by corporate executives more interested in protecting their reputation and that of their employers than in protecting users," Stephanie Hinds, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, said in a statement to the newspaper. "Where such conduct violates the federal law, it will be prosecuted."
"While we obviously disagree with the jury's verdict, we appreciate their dedication and effort in this case," David Angeli, a lawyer for Mr. Sullivan, told The Times. "Mr. Sullivan's sole focus — in this incident and throughout his distinguished career — has been ensuring the safety of people's personal data on the internet."
Uber didn't respond to a request from the news outlet for comment.