Cyberattack od telecom MTN Group compromises customer data

MTN Group, Africa's largest mobile network operator, is reporting a significant cybersecurity incident resulting in unauthorized access to personal information of some of its subscribers across certain markets. The telecom giant serves nearly 300 million subscribers across 20 countries claims that despite the attack its core infrastructure remains secure.

An unknown third party has claimed to have accessed data linked to parts of MTN's systems. The company stated, "At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers' accounts and wallets have been directly compromised." 

MTN has  activated its cybersecurity response processes and notified relevant authorities, including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks (South Africa's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation). The company is also working to notify affected customers in compliance with local legal and regulatory obligations.

The nature of the attack, exposed data,  specific markets that were affected and number of affected individuals is not disclosed

MTN has advised subscribers to implement the general security measures:

• Place a fraud alert on your credit report via any major credit bureau
• Keep MTN, MoMo, and banking apps/devices updated
• Use strong, unique passwords and change them regularly
• Avoid clicking on suspicious or unexpected messages/links
• Never share passwords, PINs, or OTPs via phone, text, or email
• Enable multifactor authentication wherever possible

Update - as of 29th of April 2025, the MTN Group reported that at least 5,700 MTN subscribers were affected by the incident.