Disney, DISA, and Orange Hit by Major Security Incidents
Cybersecurity doesn’t slow down, and neither do the headlines. In Episode #30 of the Cybersecurity Growth Show, hosts Shawn Valle and Garrett Gross dug into the week’s biggest cyber stories — from insider mishaps to massive data breaches — and shared practical takeaways for security leaders and teams navigating an increasingly hostile digital landscape.
📺 Watch the full episode here:
🎧 Or listen to the audio here:
1. Disney Hack: When an “AI Tool” Isn’t What It Seems
One of the week’s most eyebrow-raising stories involved a Disney engineer who downloaded what he believed was a simple “AI photo tool.” In reality, it was malware.
That malicious software gave threat actors access to:
- His personal logins, including smart home devices like Ring cameras.
- His work credentials, including Slack, which attackers allegedly used to steal roughly 44 million messages.
The engineer did the right thing by reporting the incident — but the twist? He was fired after an internal scan revealed unrelated inappropriate browsing activity.
🎯 Key takeaway: Employee endpoints remain one of the weakest links. A single download can open the door to a massive breach. Security awareness training and endpoint controls are critical.
2. DISA Global Solutions Breach: 3 Million People Impacted
Background check provider DISA Global Solutions confirmed a “cyber incident” that compromised the private data of over 3 million Americans, including:
- Social Security numbers
- Credit card details
- Medical and employment history
- Educational background and criminal records
Even more troubling: the breach happened in February 2024, but wasn’t disclosed to authorities for nearly a year.
🎯 Key takeaway: Timely disclosure is just as important as containment. Regulatory scrutiny is likely, and trust is hard to rebuild once delayed disclosures become public.
3. Orange Breach: Lightning Strikes Twice
Telecom giant Orange confirmed its second breach in just over a year. The attacker — claiming affiliation with the HellCat ransomware group — reportedly accessed:
- 380,000 email addresses
- Thousands of internal documents
- Roughly 12,000 files totaling 6.5 GB of data
The attack exploited a non-critical back-office app, allowing the intruder to move undetected for three hours.
🎯 Key takeaway: “Non-critical” systems can still be high-impact targets. Regular security assessments and network segmentation are essential to limit lateral movement.
Cybersecurity Growth Training Spotlight
This episode also highlighted Cybersecurity Growth’s new training series — including “Cybersecurity for Musicians, Producers, and Studios”, a self-paced course that blends practical cybersecurity with creative protection strategies.
As both a cybersecurity leader and musician, Shawn built this training to help creatives protect their work, manage digital rights, and understand the threats that affect their livelihoods.
Looking Ahead
Next on the docket:
- Resume Workshop #2
- Upcoming episodes on vulnerability management, BCDR, and insider risk.
📢 Cybersecurity Growth Show streams live every other Friday at 10:30 AM EDT.
🎧 Replays are available on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform.
🌐 Visit cybersecuritygrowth.com for courses, resources, and replays.
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