Former Uber security chief found guilty of concealing data breach

Sullivan, who was fired from Uber in 2017, was found guilty on counts of obstruction of justice and deliberate concealment of felony, a spokesperson from the US justice department confirmed on Wednesday.

The case was being watched as an important precedent regarding the culpability of individual security staffers and executives when handling cybersecurity incidents, a concern that has only grown at a time when reports of ransomware attacks have surged and cybersecurity insurance premiums have risen.

The justice department filed criminal charges against Sullivan in 2020. At the time, prosecutors alleged he arranged to pay the hackers $100,000 (£87,964) in bitcoin and had them sign nondisclosure agreements that falsely stated they had not stolen data.

In July, Uber accepted responsibility for covering up the breach and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution of Sullivan over his alleged role in concealing the hacking, as part of a settlement with US prosecutors to avoid criminal charges.