Uber continues to experience a myriad of challenges ranging from opposition to its UberPop or UberX service in various countries and resistance by Taxi services in various cities to its services. The latest addition to these problems is a security breach which has seen active Uber accounts sold in the Dark Web for $1 each. The accounts include personal details of the users such as the home address, usernames and passwords, user trip history and the last four digits of the user’s credit card information. Uber however denies the breach.
Some users have however, come forward claiming that they continue to be charged for rides they did not make. With the credit card information linked to the user account, intruders have been able to order rides without the account holder’s permission. Other users cannot access their user accounts with the email address or password associated with their account having been changed. Uber has been refunding users affected by the breach.
The company has been working to make the physical trips safer with the launch of safety initiatives that included Safety advisory board to review practices and advise on measures to make the ride safer. They also instituted a quality assurance program with off-duty law enforcement and security professionals will audit activity to ensure compliance with safety regulations as well as creation of an incidence response team. After launching in India, an Uber driver was accused of rape while in countries like South Korea and Germany suspended the use of the service pending investigations into the safety precautions of users of UberPop.
The revelations present a new challenge for Uber which has been trying to clean its image following multiple legal issues in various countries over the legality of its service. Meanwhile, the dark web has in the recent past come under sharp scrutiny by authorities in various countries as a hug for illegal activity since the discovery of Silk Road, the online marketplace for illegal drugs.
Uber recently launched in Kenya pitting it in direct competition with MaraMoja, Sasa Cabs and Easy Taxi. A spot check at my account reveals i am not affected by the breach.
