Shaq Gets Serious About Cybersecurity After Getting Hacked

Shaquille O’Neal is using his latest business partnership to put a bigger spotlight on digital privacy, scams, and personal data protection.

Shaquille O’Neal has spent decades making big moves in basketball, entertainment, and business. Now, the four-time NBA champion is getting behind a different kind of defense: cybersecurity.

At a NordVPN promotional event in New York City’s Times Square, O’Neal opened up about being targeted in a scam involving people who claimed they were handling a home purchase. The experience prompted the entrepreneur and investor to take digital security more seriously — and to use his partnership with NordVPN to encourage everyday consumers to protect their personal information.

“I was hacked for the first time, not a bad hack, and I didn’t know what to do,” O’Neal said, according to Wired. “So I had to look into it. Once that happened, I really had to start paying more attention, because I would think nothing like that could ever happen to me, but it could happen to anybody.”

That message is particularly relevant for entrepreneurs and professionals whose businesses increasingly depend on digital platforms, cloud services, and connected devices. O’Neal said his goal is to help make cybersecurity awareness less intimidating for regular people.

“Everybody needs to have control of their own information,” he said.

Despite his celebrity status, O’Neal said he tries to maintain a relatively normal lifestyle and doesn’t let security concerns dominate his thinking. Still, he acknowledged that his profile means he has to remain vigilant.

“Yes, I think about it all the time, but I don’t let it consume me, because if you let it consume you, you can go crazy,” O’Neal said. “But you have to be able to have great reactionary skills if something happens.”

For NordVPN, the partnership reflects a broader effort to position cybersecurity as an everyday consumer issue rather than a concern reserved for tech professionals. The company offers VPN services alongside tools for antivirus protection, threat detection, and scam defense.

NordVPN Chief Technology Officer Marijus Briedis pointed to consumer education as a major challenge. “The weakest link is between the computer and the chair,” Briedis told WIRED, explaining that the company is focusing on education around digital threats.

RELATED CONTENT: Obama on the Record: Cybersecurity