A hacker group stated via their dark web page that they have leaked thousands upon thousands of internally-stored electronic documents belonging to Nike.
Nike has stated that they are currently conducting an investigation into whether or not their internal data was leaked online as stated by the cyber crime gang.
Details of the alleged breach and the group behind it
The investigation comes after a group called World Leaks posted on the dark web claiming they got their hands on 1.4 terabytes of Nike. In its statement, Nike says it cares a lot about keeping customer info safe and is trying to figure out what happened.
Right now, Nike isn’t sure if the leak is real. They also haven’t said if any customer, worker, or business partner info got out.
This phase of investigation and public uncertainty is common in such incidents, as seen recently when NordVPN launched a probe into similar hacker claims regarding a potential leak of its internal Salesforce and Jira data.
World Leaks steals data and threatens to release it unless paid. They have been active over the past year after changing their name from Hunters International, a group that’s been around since 2023.
As law enforcement closed in, the group briefly stopped encrypting files and focused instead on stealing data and extorting money. They claim they’ve hit hundreds of victims since then.
Nike’s challenges and a broader industry woes
The potential breach raises concerns about how secure the information of Nike’s major partners is. The sportsware giant is in partnership with a lot of big retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, JD Sports, etc. It remains unclear whether the breach compromised any partner data.
Several major corporations have suffered serious cyber breaches over the past year, and Nike’s potential incident adds to the growing list. We’ve seen major breaches targeted at firms such as MGM Resorts, Clorox, UnitedHealth Group.
This trend includes the theft and dark web leak of proprietary source code, as recently alleged in a major breach targeting electronics giant LG.
These companies have lost hundreds of millions of dollars due to the incessant attacks, and it appears the sportswear sector has become a fresh target for hackers. Under Armour recently investigated a breach that exposed the email addresses and other confidential information of millions of customers.
This claim poses new uncertainty for Nike as the company has been hard at work trying to reclaim its position as the world’s biggest sportswear brand after it lost 10% of its market share. Nike’s shares price remained down with no significant upside or downward movement after the news broke, suggesting that investors might be waiting to verify the claims before they react.
Implications of the data breach claims and what’s next
If hackers breached Nike and leaked its data, the consequences could be severe for the company. According to the hackers’ claim, they have 1.4 terabytes at their disposal – that’s not child’s play. The stolen data could include confidential internal documents, designs, financial records, or partnership agreements.
Such data out in the open is a weapon in the hands of Nike’s rivals. It could also ruin the trust partners have in the company and mess up the company’s reputation that took years to build.
Today, consumers take online safety and privacy seriously and will abandon brands if companies expose personal data. Regulators may investigate the incident and impose fines on Nike based on the type of data exposed and the regulations involved.
Nike is investigating the incident, and pressure is likely to increase in the coming days as it verifies the claim, assesses what data was stolen, and determines how the hackers gained access. Everyone is watching and how Nike handles this situation will determine the next move.
