Latest news with #DisneySlack
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Disney Slack Hacker Pleads Guilty to Stealing 1.1 Terabytes of Data, Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison
A Santa Clarita man has agreed to plead guilty to two felony counts of hacking the personal computer of a Disney employee last year. Ryan Mitchell Kramer, 25, will admit to one count of accessing a computer and obtaining information and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California. Each count carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, but it's not clear if those sentences will be served separately or concurrently. In early 2024, Kramer illegally gained access to the Disney employee's computer via a program he posted GitHub. It contained a malicious file that enabled Kramer to carry out the hack. Kramer downloaded approximately 1.1 terabytes of confidential data from thousands of Disney Slack channels, according to the press release. After unsuccessfully trying to blackmail the hacking victim by claiming to be part of the Russian hacktivist group NullBulge, Kramer publicly released the stolen Disney Slack files. He also posted the victim's bank, medical, and personal information on multiple online platforms. The leaked files, which date back to 2019, included discussions about ad campaigns, studio technology and interview candidates, the Wall Street Journal reported last year. Other information obtained in the hack runs the gamut from theme park plans to photos of employees' dogs. Kramer posted a statement supposedly from NullBuldge along with the hacked information, saying that Disney was targeted 'due to how it handles artist contracts, its approach to AI, and it's [sic] pretty blatant disregard for the consumer.' Kramer has admitted that at least two other victims downloaded his malicious program. The FBI is still investigating. The post Disney Slack Hacker Pleads Guilty to Stealing 1.1 Terabytes of Data, Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
L.A. County man admits to stealing private data from Disney in hacking scheme
A Los Angeles County man has admitted to setting up an online hacking scheme to gain access to sensitive information of unsuspecting users, which he then used to download and leak confidential data from Disney. Ryan Mitchell Kramer, 25, of Santa Clarita, agreed to plead guilty to one count of accessing a computer and obtaining information, and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer. According to the United States Department of Justice, in 2024, Kramer uploaded a malicious computer program to multiple websites, including the online coding repository Github. It was labeled as a program to create A.I.-generated art, but in fact was set up in a way to allow him to access the computers of those who downloaded it. One of his victims, the DOJ says, was an employee at the Walt Disney Company, located in Burbank. Kramer was able to access the victim's computer and their stored login credentials for personal and professional accounts, including private Slack channels used by employees of the entertainment conglomerate. In May 2024, Kramer downloaded approximately 1.1 terabytes of confidential data from the Disney Slack channels. The DOJ says he contacted the victim by email and through Discord, another online messaging platform, and claimed to be a member of a fake Russian hacking group called 'NullBulge.' Using this persona, Kramer threatened to leak the victim's personal information and the cache of stolen Disney Slack data. The DOJ did not provide details about his initial demands to prevent the leak. The messages went unanswered, at which point Kramer released the stolen files, as well as the victim's personal, financial and medical information. Kramer was eventually arrested following an investigation by the FBI. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted to also hacking two other victims through the same means. Kramer has agreed to plead guilty to two felony charges related to the hacking scheme, each of which carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He is expected to make an initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles 'in the coming weeks,' the DOJ said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Hack: Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing 1.1 Terabytes of Data Over Slack
A California man has pleaded guilty to hacking a Disney employee's personal computer last year and stealing more than 1 terabyte of confidential data. Santa Clarita resident Ryan Mitchell Kramer, 25, pleaded guilty to two felony charges, including one count of accessing a computer and obtaining information and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. More from Variety APOS 2025 Draws Top Media Execs to Bali for 15th Edition Disney to Preview 'Zootopia 2,' 'Elio,' 'Toy Story 5' and More at This Year's Annecy Festival Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Disney and More Media Stocks Rally as Trump Sets 90-Day Pause on Tariffs for Some Countries According to the plea agreement, in early 2024 Kramer posted a computer program on various online platforms that appeared to be used to create AI-generated art, when it really contained a malicious file to gain access to victims' computers. Between April and May 2024, a Disney employee downloaded the program, and Kramer gained access to the victim's personal and work accounts, including a non-public Disney Slack channel. Kramer dowloaded approximately 1.1 terabytes of confidential data from thousands of Disney Slack channels. In July, Kramer contacted the victim by pretending to be a member of a fake Russian hacktivist group called 'Nullbulge' and threatned to leak their personal information and Disney Slack data. On July 12, Kramer publicly released the data, including the victim's bank, medical, and personal information on multiple online platforms. According to the plea deal, at least two other On July 15, the hack was made public in a report by the Wall Street Journal, and Disney said it was investigating the breach. The FBI is also investigating the hack. Kramer admitted that he hacked the computers of at least two other victims through his malware. He is expected to make his first appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Netflix in May 2025 What's Coming to Disney+ in May 2025
