October 30, 2024 at 11:24AM
A former Disney employee, Michael Scheuer, was arrested for hacking into the company’s systems post-termination, altering restaurant menus to eliminate allergen information and redirect QR codes. These actions could have posed serious health risks. Charged with multiple violations, he faces significant prison time if convicted. A bond hearing is pending.
**Meeting Takeaways:**
1. **Incident Overview:**
– Michael Scheuer, a former Disney employee, has been arrested and charged with hacking into Disney’s systems after his termination.
– He is alleged to have committed multiple violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).
2. **Background:**
– Scheuer was fired from his role as a menu production manager in June for unspecified misconduct, leading to contentious circumstances surrounding his dismissal.
3. **Details of the Hacking:**
– Following his termination, Scheuer reportedly accessed Disney’s menu creation system using still-active credentials to alter restaurant menus.
– He changed fonts to unusable symbols, affecting the functionality of menus and taking the system offline for two weeks.
– Scheuer allegedly altered menus to redirect QR codes to a website advocating for a boycott of Israel and removed critical allergen information, which could have posed health risks.
4. **Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks:**
– Scheuer is accused of launching DoS attacks on Disney employees through automated scripts to overwhelm account login pages.
– Personal information of targeted employees was found on his devices, indicating premeditated efforts against them.
5. **Investigation Findings:**
– A search of Scheuer’s home revealed the use of a VPN (Mullvad) to obscure his activities, although investigators were able to trace these actions back to him.
– Evidence of multiple virtual machines linked to the attacks was found on his personal computer.
6. **Legal Consequences:**
– Scheuer faces multiple charges, including knowingly causing damage to a protected computer and resulting financial loss.
– If convicted, he may face up to 15 years in prison.
– He remains in jail pending a bond hearing, with no date set yet.
7. **Response from Disney:**
– Disney has not publicly commented on the incident or the ongoing investigation.
These takeaways summarize the key points regarding the nature and implications of the alleged hacking incident involving a former Disney employee.