Africa’s largest mobile network operator, MTN Group, has confirmed a cybersecurity breach that exposed customers’ personal data in select markets across its 19-country operational footprint. However, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) assured its stakeholders that its core network, billing services, and financial systems remain secure and fully operational.
The cybersecurity breach, according to the company’s announcement, allowed for an unknown third-party to have access to data linked to part of the company’s core systems. But the company maintains that they have no information that indicates the compromising of customers’ accounts and wallets.
As for what the telecom giant did after the breach, MTN said its cybersecurity response processes were immediately activated, where they informed the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks in South Africa.
“We also informed the relevant country authorities and will continue to update them on an ongoing basis while working closely with them and law enforcement agencies in supporting their investigations,” the company added. “We are in the process of notifying affected customers in compliance with local legal and regulatory obligations.”
While the investigations are currently ongoing, MTN Group, serving over 280 million customers across 19 countries, offered regular security measures to their customers while advising them to remain vigilant. Here are some of them:
- Keep MTN, MoMo and banking apps and devices updated.
- Use strong, unique passwords for accounts and change them regularly.
- Be cautious of unexpected messages and do not click on suspicious links.
- Do not disclose information such as passwords, PINs and OTP when asked to do so by phone, text message or email.
- Where multifactor authentication is available, it should be activated.
- To mitigate any fraudulent consequences, a fraud alert can be placed on an individual’s credit report at any of the major credit bureaus.
In addition, MTN reasserts that protecting their privacy of information, defending the integrity of their systems, and safeguarding the trust placed in them by their customers and other stakeholders, remain their utmost priorities. “We will continue to contain and manage this matter carefully,” the company added.
