MTN acknowledges cyberattack, recommends measures to safeguard customer information
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile telephone operator, has acknowledged having being hit by a cybersecurity breach that exposed personal data of some customers in certain markets, but stressed its core networks, billing systems, and financial platforms remain secure.
An unidentified third party claimed to have accessed parts of MTN systems, the company said in a statement posted on its website.
The scope of the breach is still under investigation, the network said, but reassured stakeholders that there is no indication that customer accounts or digital wallets are directly compromised.
“No evidence of compromise to any of our critical infrastructure, core MTN platforms, or services. Core network, billing systems, and financial services infrastructure remain secure and fully operational,” the statement explained.
MTN, based in Johannesburg, serves 280 million customers across 19 countries and said it has notified the South African Police Service and the Hawks, a specialised crime unit, and coordinating with authorities in affected markets.
The telecom firm 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.”
MTN said it is in the process of notifying affected customers in accordance with local legal and regulatory requirements as part of efforts to mitigate potential risks.
It advised customers to take preventive steps to safeguard their information. Its recommended measures include:
- Place fraud alerts on credit reports
- Regularly update apps, using strong and unique passwords.
- Exercise caution with unsolicited messages containing suspicious links
- Avoid sharing sensitive information, such as passwords, PINs, and one-time passwords, over phone, text, or email.
- Where available, enable multi-factor authentication for added security.
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