MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile network operator, has confirmed a cybersecurity incident that compromised the personal data of subscribers in select countries.
The company, which serves nearly 300 million users across 20 countries, says its core network, billing systems, and financial services infrastructure remain unaffected and fully operational.
In an official statement, MTN revealed that unauthorized access to customer information occurred, though it did not specify the exact markets impacted or the nature of the data exposed. An investigation is ongoing, and the company has involved law enforcement, including the South African Police Service, and relevant data protection authorities.
An unknown third party is reportedly claiming responsibility for accessing MTN’s customer data. However, the company has not found evidence of compromised wallets or financial accounts at this stage.
As a precaution, MTN is advising users to:
- Place a fraud alert with major credit bureaus
- Keep apps and devices up to date
- Use strong, unique passwords
- Avoid suspicious links and messages
- Never share PINs or passwords
- Enable multi-factor authentication
So far, no ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the breach.
