Nike confirms investigation of 1.4TB data breach

Cybercrime group WorldLeaks claims responsibility

Nike is investigating a confirmed cyberattack after the WorldLeaks ransomware group claimed it stole and leaked around 1.4TB of internal data.

Global sportswear giant Nike has confirmed that it is investigating a large-scale data breach following claims the WorldLeaks ransomware group that it stole and published a large trove of Nike’s internal data.

WorldLeaks is already known for its extortion-driven attacks, publicly claimed responsibility on its dark web leak site for hacking Nike’s systems and exfiltrating roughly 1.4 terabytes of data. The group added Nike to its victim list and published approximately 188,000 files, including internal product development and operational documents.

In a statement shared with multiple publications, Nike said: “We always take consumer privacy and data security very seriously. We are investigating a potential cyber security incident and are actively assessing the situation.”

Nike has not yet confirmed the full extent of compromised information or whether any ransom was paid.

The leaked materials appear to be largely related to Nike’s internal design, manufacturing and supply chain workflows rather than direct customer financial data. Folder titles reportedly include product schematics, bills of materials, training resources and strategic presentations.

The fact that customer data appears (at the time of writing) not to have been exposed seems to be limiting the damage to Nike’s stock price which hasn’t moved much in either direction since the announcement. However, as Computing has argued before, whether or not customer data is exposed should not be the determining factor when assessing the seriousness of an attack like this.

Nike has created a strong brand based on innovation and an association with some of the world's best athletes. If this intellectual property is exposed it’s going to make it a lot easier for counterfeiters to steal Nike’s thunder.

Nike has engaged cybersecurity experts to conduct a detailed forensic investigation, and legal teams are reportedly preparing for potential regulatory notifications should customer or employee personally identifiable data be confirmed as part of the breach. The company will also invariably face questions about supply chain vulnerabilities and third-party security practice.

Nike is the second big sportswear brand to be hit in recent months. Under Armour disclosed a data breach earlier this month by the Everest ransomware gang which occurred last November. That attack involves customer data with the breach notification website Have I Been Pwned obtaining a copy of the stolen data of more than 72 million customer accounts.