Ex-Disney Employee Charged With Hacking Menu Database

Ex-Disney Employee Charged With Hacking Menu Database

October 30, 2024 at 04:04PM

Former Disney employee Michael Scheuer was arrested for allegedly hacking the company’s systems, altering restaurant menus, and deleting allergen information, potentially endangering customers. Charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act on three counts, he faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Here are the key takeaways from the meeting notes regarding the recent incident involving a former Disney employee:

1. **Individual Charged**: Michael Scheuer, a former menu production manager at Disney, has been arrested and charged with multiple violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) after allegedly hacking into Disney’s systems.

2. **Circumstances of Dismissal**: Scheuer was fired in June due to unspecified misconduct, with his dismissal characterized as contentious and not amicable.

3. **Unauthorized Access**: Post-termination, Scheuer reportedly used his still-active credentials to access the company’s menu creation system and made unauthorized alterations.

4. **Altering Menu Data**: He changed system fonts to Wingdings symbols, rendering all menus in the database unusable. This significant change was identified prior to any menus being shipped.

5. **Health Risks**: Scheuer allegedly deleted critical allergen information from the menus, potentially endangering customers by misrepresenting food safety, although the altered menus were not distributed.

6. **System Downtime**: The unauthorized changes caused the menu system to go offline for two weeks, necessitating backup restoration.

7. **Additional Charges**: Scheuer is also implicated in distributed denial-of-service attacks targeting Disney employees; incriminating evidence was discovered on his virtual machines.

8. **Legal Proceedings**: He faces charges related to two CFAA violations and is currently in jail awaiting a bond hearing. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

These points summarize the critical information from the meeting concerning the legal and operational implications of Scheuer’s actions at Disney.

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