SEATTLE (Reuters) - Computer hackers hijacked Nike Inc.'s Web site on Wednesday, redirecting visitors to an anti-free trade site that threatened to disrupt a September World Economic Forum meeting, the sports apparel giant said.
The Beaverton, Oregon, company quickly updated its security measures and reclaimed the site, which had pointed at the unauthorized site for about two hours Wednesday afternoon.
"The good news is they weren't in any way able to get into our content or get into our system," said Nike spokeswoman Corby Casler. "We've got really tight security on any consumer information piece of our business."
Casler said Nike had contacted the FBI and would prosecute the perpetrators, if they were identified.
Web surfers visiting Nike at www.nike.com were rerouted to a site, hosted by a British company called Frugal, that included a clock counting down the days to the WEF meeting in Melbourne.
The page contained a message: "seattle + washington - melbourne", a reference to activists' efforts to shut down the World Trade Organization meeting last fall in Seattle and the International Monetary Fund meetings this summer in Washington, DC.
Nike has drawn criticism from student groups, some universities and labor activists for its contracts with Third World shoe and clothing suppliers that employ workers at very low wages.
The company argues the workers are paid at least local minimum wages and it has worked with student monitors to ensure factory conditions comply with local laws.:
