Africa’s largest telecommunication service provider, MTN Group, disclosed on Thursday that it experienced a cybersecurity incident that exposed personal data of select customers in some markets but that its core networks, billing systems, and financial platforms are still secure.
An anonymous third party claimed to have infiltrated elements of MTN’s systems, according to a statement posted on the company’s website.
While the extent of the intrusion is still being investigated, MTN assured stakeholders that there is no evidence that user accounts or digital wallets were directly accessed.
“No evidence of compromise to any of our critical infrastructure, core MTN platforms, or services,” MTN stated, adding that its “core network, billing systems, and financial services infrastructure remain secure and fully operational.”
The Johannesburg-based telecom giant, which serves 280 million users in 19 countries, has contacted the South African Police Service and the Hawks, a specialised criminal squad, and is working with authorities in the affected nations.
MTN is also contacting affected 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,” the operator noted.
As part of its continuous efforts to manage any risks, MTN is currently alerting concerned customers in compliance with local legal and regulatory requirements.
The organisation recommended its clients take preventative measures to protect their information.
Place fraud alerts on credit reports, update apps on a regular basis, use secure and unique passwords, and proceed with caution when receiving unsolicited communications with questionable links.
The telecom giant further advised consumers to avoid giving personal information, such as passwords, PINs, and one-time passwords, over the phone, by SMS, or email.
Where available, the business suggests using multi-factor authentication for enhanced security.
