Mobility service provider Uber stated is looking into a Cybersecurity breach that led the business to shut down on Friday.
Uber however claimed that it had no proof that the issue involved access to private user information like trip history and that internal software tools it had taken offline following the hack are now available again.
According to reports the hacker took control of an employee’s account on the business messaging service Slack and used it to inform other employees of the company’s data breach.
According to security Researcher Bill Demirkapi, screenshots that made rounds online appeared to verify the hacker’s access to Uber’s internal systems. In 2016, Uber suffered a similar incident that led to multiple losses and the ouster of the chief security officer at the time, who was accused of attempting to hide the incident.
Read: Text Book Centre now available on Uber Eats
This comes barely a month after it introduced new safety elements for both its drivers and passengers. The decision was made in response to research the company had undertaken that showed passengers lacked confidence in the platform because they were unaware of the security protections that were offered.
One of the safety features introduced is Ride Check, which automatically activates if a trip is interrupted for a while for unanticipated reasons. This feature prompts Uber to check on the rider and the driver to see if they are both okay; if neither responds, Uber will call them.
Read: Uber Expands Its Business Operations, Introduces New Features
In order to strengthen its position in the market and expand its services, the mobility service provider Uber added Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Naivasha to its list of locations with the aim of creating new job opportunities in these regions allowing the drivers to also benefit from the new digital era of entrepreneurship, which has exceeded more than one billion trips in Africa.
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