back to article Uber says 2.7 MEEELLION(ish) UK users affected by hack

Uber has finally come up with a figure for the number of UK-based riders and drivers affected by its massive data breach: 2.7 million. The taxi hire firm has been slammed by regulators around the world for keeping the hack, which happened in October 2016, quiet for the best part of a year. To make matters worse, when it …

  1. cbars Bronze badge

    Somewhere in Cali HQ in 2016:

    "That looks odd..."

    "Ummmm.... Bugger! Emergency Release!"

    .... a year later

    "Patch issued, post incident analysis complete, let's tell people about it."

    "About what? I'm busy with this flying car concept mock-up"

  2. ravenviz Silver badge

    In other news

    The Register says 2.7 MEEELLION(ish) UK users not directly affected by hack

  3. tiggity Silver badge

    Phishing time

    Given email address and phone number then plenty of scope for well targeted phishing as wrongdoers can also send SMS as "proof" they are whatever org you have given phone number and email address to (obvious phish to fry would be FB, Gmail (if gmail address) etc.

    Especially with a lot of orgs pushing towards 2FA & people used to getting a text with 2FA code & emails with link to enter taht code to log in.

  4. Joseph Haig

    But Uber isn't a security company so these security regulations shouldn't apply to them, right?

    1. MrGutts
      Happy

      Many countries have Data security breach laws in place that require companies to notify customers ( small window of time ) of a data breach that has compromised PII data. UBER just does what the hell it wants because its run by a bunch frat boys. One reason why you guys a kicking there ass out of London right?

  5. Warm Braw

    Still waiting for technical reports ...

    Given the amount of time Uber have been sitting on this, you wonder what their security people have been doing in the mean time.

    Oh, hang on...

    Which, along with their decision to pay off the hackers, does make you wonder about their relationship with the black hats. And, indeed, whether any other information was leaked that perhaps Uber wouldn't want to admit to having in their possession. Though in view of the impeccable integrity of the company's staff from the board room down, I'm surely just being paranoid.

  6. AMBxx Silver badge
    Boffin

    2.7 million

    Anyone know how many accounts they have in the UK? Is this all of them, or a smallish percentage?

    1. Naselus

      Re: 2.7 million

      Given a UK population of about 60 million, it's about 5% of the total population. Which isn't that small a percentage to begin with, even before factoring in that the majority of the population probably don't have an Uber account.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 2.7 million

        Given a UK population of about 60 million, it's about 5% of the total population.

        Although a rather higher proportion of the adult taxi-using population.

    2. katrinab Silver badge

      Re: 2.7 million

      They have 3.5 million UK accounts as of when TfL banned them. 2.7 million was probably all of the accounts open at the time of the breach.

  7. Rainman

    You actually believe them?

    Given Uber's reluctance to come completely clean on this one has to think very carefully about there being any possible motive to slow-down the release of the information that everyone needs to know.

    So, is this delay as result of Uber being just an incompetent outfit that's mined/stolen more data than it can handle? Or, is this a tactical delay because there is more to this than they've currently fessed up to? Is the number bigger? Is the stolen data potentially more damaging?

    Since they've been busted for so many transgressions (with more issues yet to even get into court yet) do you actually believe anything they say?

    I'd be really interested in hearing about Reg readers that still have the app installed and are still using them and the reason why. Lets breakout (more) popcorn!

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: You actually believe them?

      No.

  8. ukgnome
    Coat

    is it a big number of users really?

    Uber

    1. Richard 12 Silver badge

      Re: is it a big number of users really?

      It looks very close to 100% of Uber users at the time of the breach.

      100% is a very big number. The biggest.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    That's a 104 adult badgers of credit reports!

    Maybe they can get them from Equifax on the cheap.

  10. H in The Hague

    Investment opporunity?

    "The UK’s investigation is just one of many the taxi biz is facing ..."

    Now, I wouldn't dream of investing them. But I do wonder if I could buy shares in the legal practices they use :)

    1. Raphael

      Re: Investment opporunity?

      Dewey, Cheetum and Howe?

      1. Solmyr ibn Wali Barad

        Re: Investment opportunity?

        Sue, Grabbitt and Runne.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Boycott Uber

    Easy: Boycott - stop using uber. Permanently.

    This company has a history of: bad employer behaviour, lack of proper treatment for employees ('workers'), not reporting serious sexual offences to police, sexual harassment within the uber offices, lack of reporting sexual reports/offences by drivers to the council and/or police.

    Why would you continue to contribute to their funds? Don't be a user of uber. Don't be an investor of uber. The fact they have lost hundreds of millions of dollars *per year* is enough to tell you they are trying to eradicate local taxi competition through any means possible. They are amongst the most immoral tech-companies in existence.

    1. anthonyhegedus Silver badge

      Re: Boycott Uber

      I'm boycotting them! closing my account now

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    tough shit

    Uber of cunts - if you use them you deserve everything you get. Total scum.

  13. Crisp

    Is it too late to buy shares in Lyft?

    Just asking...

    1. katrinab Silver badge

      Re: Is it too late to buy shares in Lyft?

      You can't buy shares in it directly as it is owned privately, however you can buy shares in some of their shareholders:

      Alibaba (New York)

      Tencent (Hong Kong)

      Rakuten (Tokyo)

      Softbank (Tokyo, they also have a holding in Über)

      General Motors (New York)

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Un

    Believable

    Egregious

    Ruination

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They are also...

      Crafty Underhand Nasty Tardcakey Scum

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