MTN Group has confirmed a cyber breach that exposed personal information of customers in some of its markets.
The company is still investigating the full extent of the damage, but it has admitted that an unauthorised third party gained access to parts of its system.
The cyber breach, according to MTN, did not affect its core network, billing platforms, or financial systems. These remain intact. Still, personal data was accessed, and the company has now activated its crisis response mechanisms.
Authorities, including the South African Police Service and the Hawks, have been brought in. Regulatory agencies in the affected markets are also involved.
MTN didn’t disclose which countries were hit. It simply said the breach involved a third party. “At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers’ accounts and wallets have been directly compromised,” MTN stated.
The company is reaching out to affected customers and says it’s following local data protection laws to the letter.
The group has advised customers to take basic security steps—change passwords, avoid dodgy links, don’t share PINs or OTPs, and switch on multi-factor authentication if it’s available. Fraud alerts on credit reports are also on the list.
This follows a worrying pattern across the global telecom space. Just days ago, SK Telecom in South Korea revealed that hackers used malware to access sensitive USIM-related data during an off-hours attack. That’s the kind of backdrop we’re dealing with—one where cyberattacks are becoming more strategic, timed, and effective.
For Nigerians, there’s a temporary sigh of relief. Sources say MTN Nigeria wasn’t affected by the cyber breach. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be next time. MTN’s massive reach—280 million users across 19 countries—makes it a goldmine for cybercriminals.
Even with assurance that the “core infrastructure” remains untouched, this breach chips away at customer trust. We’ve entered a new phase of digital threat where it’s no longer about if but when.
MTN says, “We remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders.”
