MTN Suffered a cybersecurity Breach

By Laraba Amos

Telecommunications group MTN has suffered a cybersecurity breach that led to unauthorized access to personal information belonging to customers in certain markets.

MTN, in a statement, however, clarified that the incident did not impact its core network, billing systems, or financial services infrastructure, all of which remain secure and fully operational. The breach happened late Thursday.

It explained that the breach involved a third party gaining access to parts of its systems, raising concerns about potential data exposure.

Following the discovery of the breach, MTN said it swiftly activated its cybersecurity response protocols. The telecom giant informed law enforcement authorities in South Africa, including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks, and has also notified relevant regulatory agencies in affected countries.

The company stated it is cooperating closely with these authorities as investigations continue and is in the process of notifying affected customers in line with local regulatory requirements.

The telecom firm advised its customers to remain vigilant and adopt recommended cybersecurity practices. These include: Placing a fraud alert on their credit reports with major credit bureaus, regularly updating MTN and banking applications, using strong, unique passwords and changing them frequently, avoiding suspicious links and messages, never disclosing sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, or OTPs via phone, SMS, or email and enabling multi factor authentication.

MTN emphasized that the privacy and security of customer information remain its top priority.

“We remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders,” the company stated.

The company assured stakeholders that it is managing the situation carefully and will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.