Uber hires Facebook and eBay alum as first security chief
Uber has named its first ever chief security officer -- a position the ride-sharing firm needed to fill yesterday, based on recent events. The company snatched the new hire, Joe Sullivan, from Facebook, where he held the same job title for five years. He also worked in a similar capacity for eBay before that. Starting in late April, he'll be in charge of tightening Uber's digital and physical security to keep not just the company, but also its customers and drivers safe. That likely includes ensuring the app can't be easily hacked for the sake of its passengers' sensitive data, as well as enforcing stricter measures in screening drivers, among other things.
Uber already suffered a security breach in the past, which exposed 50,000 employees' drivers licenses and other sensitive information. And, if you recall, a couple of its drivers in France and India were accused of sexual assault, leading to the release of an in-app panic button that customers can press to instantly contact law enforcement. These events also prompted Uber to launch new security programs, such as a 24/7 on-call Incident Response Team that will be in charge of responding to and investigating future incidents involving the company. Sullivan might introduce more security measures in the future, but for now, he says he aims to make what's already in place even stronger.
[Image credit: TENGKU BAHAR / Getty]
