You read that correctly. Last week, an unexpected guest was in the house as the annual computer security conference Black Hat USA wrapped up its 18th event in Las Vegas. The Washington Post reports that Nike had a strong presence at the summit, even going as far as to host a 7,000-plus person after party that saw everyone from hackers to government officials letting loose. So, what business does Nike have at a gathering like this?
Following highly publicized attacks on companies like Sony Pictures, a number of corporations are looking to beef up their cybersecurity departments. The only problem is, there's not enough experts in the field to meet the massive demand, and The Washington Post notes that even the FBI has struggled to fill cybersecurity positions. That's why Nike went straight to the source, looking to court the industry's best and most skilled hackers at Black Hat USA.
"Nike is changing how athletes connect, how consumers buy, and how employees work. Every new vision creates a new cybersecurity challenge, and no one takes on a challenge like Nike," the after party invite said.
It sounds like Nike is once again ahead of the pack.
