MTN GROUP CONFIRMS DATA BREACH, SAYS CORE SYSTEMS SECURE

By Jessica Jummai Ayuba 

 According to Punch MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile network operator, disclosed on Thursday that it suffered a cybersecurity incident affecting personal data of some customers in certain markets, while assuring that its core networks, billing platforms and financial services infrastructure remain intact and fully operational.

According to a statement posted on its website, an unidentified third party claimed to have accessed parts of MTN’s systems. Although the full extent of the intrusion is still under investigation, the company reports no evidence that customer accounts or digital wallets were directly compromised.

MTN said, There is no indication of any breach to our critical infrastructure or core MTN platforms or services, adding that its core network, billing systems and financial services infrastructure remain secure and fully operational.

The Johannesburg-based telco—serving some 280 million subscribers across 19 countries—has notified the South African Police Service and the Hawks, a specialised crime unit, and is working with authorities in all affected jurisdictions. In compliance with local regulations, MTN is also contacting customers whose data may have been exposed.

Preventive Measures Advised to help safeguard personal information, MTN urged customers to: place fraud alerts on credit reports, keep apps and devices up to date, use strong, unique passwords, exercise caution with unsolicited messages or links, never share passwords, PINs or one-time codes via phone, text or email, enable multi-factor authentication wherever available.