A former Disney employee was arrested for hacking menus and removing allergy warnings, endangering customer safety.
A former employee of Walt Disney World has been arrested for allegedly hacking into the company’s computer systems.
The authorities accuse the individual of manipulating restaurant menus by changing prices and adding inappropriate language.
They also removed important allergy warnings.
This could have had serious consequences for customers with food allergies.
Disney fired the employee in June
The accused, who worked as a menu production manager, was fired in June.
After his termination, he reportedly accessed Disney’s servers without permission.
The situation came to light when the FBI began investigating the matter.
Disney discovered the changes before the menus were printed and sent to restaurants, which prevented potential harm to customers.
According to a federal complaint, the changes made by the former employee could have resulted in dangerous situations for people with allergies.
The complaint noted that some menu items were incorrectly marked as safe for customers with allergies.
This misleading information could have led to severe reactions, depending on an individual’s allergy severity.
Disney took quick action to address the issue.
The company had to take its menu creation program offline for over a week to investigate and fix the problems caused by the hacking.
This incident reportedly cost Disney at least $150,000 in damages.
The former employee’s attorney stated that his client intends to plead not guilty when formally charged.
Food safety is crucial, especially in large dining establishments like those at Disney.
Customers expect that allergy information will be accurate and reliable.
If someone compromises this information, it can lead to serious health risks.
Former Disney employee accused of hacking computer menus
Authorities are currently holding him in jail, with a bond hearing scheduled for next week.
The attorney also mentioned that the accused has faced mental health challenges for many years and is not receiving any treatment while in custody.
“He is not receiving any mental health counseling or treatment in jail,” the attorney said in the motion.
Disney has not publicly commented on the case, but an internal investigation identified the former employee as a suspect based on his job responsibilities.
His role involved creating menus for Disney’s restaurants, giving him access to carry out the hacking.
The investigation found that only someone in his position could have had the knowledge and access to these changes.
The former employee reportedly denied any wrongdoing when the FBI searched his home last month.