Joe Sullivan
More info
- Country
- United States
- Known for
- CSO at Facebook and Uber, convicted 2022
Former chief security officer at Facebook and Uber, and the first security chief convicted over how he handled a breach.
Sullivan was a federal prosecutor specialising in computer crime before becoming Facebook's security chief in 2008 and Uber's in 2015; Alex Stamos succeeded him at Facebook. In late 2016 two attackers obtained data on 57 million Uber riders and drivers and demanded payment. Uber paid them $100,000 through its bug bounty programme and had them sign non-disclosure agreements — while the company was already under FTC investigation for an earlier breach.
The breach only became public in 2017, after a new CEO arrived and Sullivan was fired. In 2022 he was convicted of obstructing the FTC investigation and concealing a felony, and in 2023 sentenced to probation. The verdict sent security chiefs everywhere off to ask about their personal liability cover.