When one former Disney employee downloaded an Artificial Intelligence (AI) program onto his computer, he had no way of knowing it would directly lead to a hack that “ruined his life.”In July 2024, Matthew Van Andel, then an engineer at The Walt Disney Company, downloaded an AI-powered photo software, not realizing it was laced with a hacking program. He later got a message on the communication platform Discord from an anonymous person who seemed to know personal information only found on his Disney Slack account.Credit: DisneyVan Andel immediately alerted The Walt Disney Company to the breach and rushed to reset his passwords. The hackers threatened to release his personal information in droves if he didn’t comply. They soon published his Social Security number, his Disney login credentials, his children’s account information for the video game Roblox, and more.The engineer felt an immense sense of “violation” after the cyber attack. He couldn’t sleep or eat and began having panic attacks. Strangers vandalized his social media accounts and left unsettling voicemails on his phone.Disney fired Van Andel after a forensic analysis of his work computer found he had used it to access pornography, which he denies.Credit: DisneyInside the Magic reported on the massive data breach last summer. Hackers shared nearly a terabyte of internal Disney communications, including Slack messages, computer code, unreleased project details, employee information, and ad strategies. A “hacktivist collective” calling itself Nullbulge claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it took action “due to how [Disney] handles artist contracts, its approach to AI, and its pretty blatant disregard for the consumer.”Still, Van Andel’s family claims that the hackers didn’t intentionally target Disney. They claim Nullbulge first stole his credit card numbers and banking information before realizing he worked at The Walt Disney Company.Credit: Disney“They realized where he worked and they were like, ‘We can have some additional fun with this,’” Van Andel’s sister said.Van Andel sought a payout from The Walt Disney Company last year for lost wages and emotional distress. He claims hackers are still trying to access his personal information and log into his social media accounts. The former Disney engineer’s family says he did everything possible, including putting his information on the line, to protect his employer after the hack.“When the hacker made their presence known and tried to extort our brother for additional information, he instead went directly to the authorities and put himself, his family and his reputation at risk to protect his employer,” they wrote on a GoFundMe page raising money for Van Andel’s family.What are your best practices for avoiding hacks and scams online? Share them with Inside the Magic in the comments! The post Disney Employee Fired After Accessing Pornography at Work appeared first on Inside the Magic.