Africa’s largest telco, MTN Group, has alerted customers about a data breach that compromised the private information of some individuals in specific regions.
In a statement, MTN said, “An unknown third party has claimed to have accessed data linked to parts of our systems.”
The company also stated that, “ At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customer accounts and wallets have been directly compromised.”
MTN Group has its headquarters in South Africa, which requires it to report such incidents to local law enforcement institutions.
The company stated it immediately activated its established cybersecurity response procedures, which involved informing both the SAPS and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
“We are in the process of notifying affected customers in compliance with local legal and regulatory obligations,” MTN added.
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The telco reassured customers that its fundamental network, billing platforms, and financial services systems are secure and fully functioning. While refraining from specifying the affected customer segments or markets, MTN offered general cybersecurity guidance to its user base.
Individuals concerned about potential fraudulent activity were advised to place a fraud alert on their credit reports by contacting any of the major credit bureaus.
The company also stressed the importance of keeping MTN, MoMo (mobile money), and banking applications and devices up to date. Furthermore, users were urged to employ strong, unique passwords for their accounts and to change them regularly.
MTN also cautioned against being careless with unexpected messages and warned users not to click on any links that appeared suspicious.
“The privacy of information is our top priority, and MTN remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders,” the company said.
