By Nicholas P. Brown and Raphael Satter
NEW YORK, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Nike says it is investigating a potential data breach, after a group known for cyber attacks reportedly claimed to have leaked a trove of data related to its business operations.
“We always take consumer privacy and data security very seriously,” Nike said in a statement. “We are investigating a potential cyber security incident and are actively assessing the situation.”
The ransomware group World Leaks said on its website that it had published 1.4 terabytes of data from Nike. Reuters could not immediately download the data or verify the claim. An attempt to locate contact information for the hackers was not immediately successful.
Nike declined to comment on the specifics of its investigation or on whether any ransom was paid.
Nike, whose business has been struggling, is trying to re-establish itself as the world’s dominant sportswear brand, amid losses in market share to smaller rivals. Its shares were flat as of late morning on Monday.
It was not immediately clear whether the breach might have affected data at any of Nike’s large wholesale partners, such as Dick’s, Macy’s, and JD Sports.
Dick’s and Macy’s did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. A spokesperson for JD Sports had no immediate comment.
Data hacks have caused mayhem in the corporate world over the last few years – and cost companies big money. MGM Resorts International, Clorox, and UnitedHealth Group all suffered major attacks in 2023 and 2024. MGM’s attack cost the company at least $100 million in damages, while Clorox suffered a drop of more than $350 million in quarterly net sales.
(Reporting by Nicholas P. Brown; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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