Personal Data Exposed As MTN Suffers Cyber Security Attack

Africa’s largest mobile operator, MTN Group announced on Thursday that it experienced a cybersecurity breach that exposed personal data of some customers in certain markets, although its core networks, billing systems, and financial platforms remain secure.

Naijaonpoint reports that an unidentified third party claimed to have accessed parts of MTN’s systems, the company said in a statement posted on its website.

While the extent of the breach is still under investigation, MTN reassured stakeholders that there is no indication that customer accounts or digital wallets were directly compromised.

The company stated, “No evidence of compromise to any of our critical infrastructure, core MTN platforms, or services,” adding that its “core network, billing systems, and financial services infrastructure remain secure and fully operational.”

The Johannesburg-based telecom giant, which serves 280 million customers across 19 countries, has informed the South African Police Service and the Hawks, a specialized crime unit, and is collaborating with authorities in affected markets.

MTN is also reaching out to impacted customers to meet local regulatory requirements.

“We have informed the relevant country authorities and will continue to update them on an ongoing basis while working closely with them and law enforcement agencies to support their investigations,” the company stated.

As part of its ongoing efforts to mitigate potential risks, MTN is notifying affected customers in accordance with local legal and regulatory requirements.

The company advised its customers to take preventive measures to safeguard their information. Among the recommended actions are placing fraud alerts on credit reports, regularly updating apps, using strong and unique passwords, and exercising caution with unsolicited messages containing suspicious links.

MTN further urged customers to avoid sharing sensitive information, such as passwords, PINs, and one-time passwords, via phone, text, or email. Where available, the company also recommends enabling multi-factor authentication for added security.