Disney Transitions from Slack to Microsoft Teams Following Data Breach Concerns

The Walt Disney Company will discontinue using Slack for internal communications after experiencing a significant data breach in July. This breach resulted in the leak of over one terabyte of company data, including confidential messages, financial information, computer codes, and unreleased project details. The unauthorized release of sensitive information was linked to a hacking group named 'NullBulge.' Previous to this, Disney had already begun transitioning towards new streamlined enterprise-wide collaboration tools.

In an internal memo, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston informed employees that most business units would cease using Slack and complete the migration to new collaboration tools by the end of the next fiscal quarter. This transition is part of a broader effort to enhance the company's security and prevent similar incidents in the future. During the summer breach, another incident occurred where 2.5GB of Club Penguin and corporate data was leaked from Disney’s Confluence server.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff addressed the breach, emphasizing the importance of robust security measures and the role of companies in protecting against phishing and social engineering attacks. Though Disney will no longer use Slack, they continue to utilize Salesforce products in numerous aspects of their operations, such as their Disney store, sales, service operations, Disney guides, and call centers.

As Disney transitions away from Slack, the specific platform it will adopt for internal communication remains unclear. The move could involve migrating to platforms like Microsoft Teams or developing proprietary internal software. The incident underscores how attractive communication platforms can be for threat actors wanting access to sensitive company information.

Disney assured investors that the breaches were not expected to significantly impact the company’s operations or financial performance. Representatives from both Disney and Salesforce did not immediately respond to requests for comments following the incident.

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