Amazon: Next WikiLeaks Hacker Target?

Amazon shares are slipping, as speculation grows that the company is the next target for attack by hackers aligned with WikiLeaks.
By Jeanine Poggi ,

NEW YORK (

TheStreet

) --

Amazon's

(AMZN) - Get Report

stock is moving lower on rumors that the site will be the next target by a group of hackers acting against companies they believe are opposed to WikiLeaks.

On Wednesday,

MasterCard

(MA) - Get Report

and

Visa

(V) - Get Report

were among the companies that reported technical difficulties with their Web sites after the anonymous hacker group said via Twitter that they were planning to attack both sites.

An attack on Amazon, which is reportedly expected to come at 11 a.m. ET, would come in the midst of the all-important holiday shopping season.

As of 10:50 Amazon's site appears to be operating normally.

eBay

(EBAY) - Get Report

has also been mentioned as a possible target.

The latest incident of attacks came on Thursday morning to Sweden's government Web site, which went offline for a few hours, according to reports.

The attacks began on Wednesday after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested and denied bail in London for the alleged sexual assault of two women in Sweden.

--Written by Jeanine Poggi in New York.

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