MTN Group has confirmed a cybersecurity breach that compromised personal data of customers in select markets, although the telecom giant insists its core systems, billing platforms, and financial infrastructure remain intact.
In a statement, MTN revealed that an unauthorized third party gained access to parts of its system, prompting the activation of its crisis response protocols. While the group didn’t specify which countries were affected, it has begun notifying impacted customers and is working closely with regulators, the South African Police Service, and the Hawks to investigate the breach.
“At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers’ accounts and wallets have been directly compromised,” MTN said.
MTN is advising users to take precautionary steps, including:
Changing account passwords
Enabling multi-factor authentication
Avoiding suspicious links
Not sharing OTPs or PINs
Placing fraud alerts on credit reports if needed
The company reaffirmed its commitment to data protection laws across its markets and is currently conducting a full impact assessment.
According to insider sources, MTN Nigeria was not impacted by the breach. However, given MTN’s massive user base of over 280 million subscribers in 19 countries experts warn that this incident signals a broader vulnerability in global telecom infrastructure.
The breach mirrors similar recent attacks in the telecom industry, including a malware-led assault on SK Telecom in South Korea that targeted USIM-related data.
Although the breach didn’t affect financial systems, it highlights a growing risk landscape where strategic, off-hours cyberattacks are targeting high-value data. This has the potential to erode customer trust a critical asset in today’s digital economy.
MTN concluded,
“We remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders.”
