Telecommunications giant, MTN Group, has confirmed a cybersecurity breach that exposed personal data of customers in certain markets, raising concerns over data protection and cyber resilience across the continent.
In a statement issued on Thursday, MTN said an “unknown third party” had gained unauthorised access to specific parts of its systems, although the company insisted that its core infrastructure — including network operations, billing systems and financial platforms — remained intact and secure.
“At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers’ accounts and wallets have been directly compromised,” the company said, while reassuring the public that it was taking all necessary steps to address the incident.
The breach has triggered swift internal responses, with MTN activating its cybersecurity protocols and alerting relevant security agencies. The South African Police Service and the elite Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) have been notified and are now part of ongoing investigations into the incident.
MTN also disclosed that it had informed authorities in the affected countries and had commenced direct notifications to customers whose data may have been exposed, in line with regulatory requirements.
While investigations continue, the company urged its users to exercise heightened caution, advising them to adopt enhanced security measures such as strong passwords, regular updates of mobile and banking apps, and enabling multifactor authentication.
“MTN remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders,” the company said.
It also recommended placing a fraud alert with major credit bureaus to mitigate potential risks, as well as avoiding suspicious messages and links.
The company added that it was managing the situation with care and would continue to provide timely updates to stakeholders.
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