Africa’s largest mobile operator, MTN Group, said it has suffered a cybersecurity breach that led to unauthorized access to personal information belonging to customers in certain markets.
The company with operations in Nigeria and 15 other markets across Africa and the Middle East did not specify which of its operations were affected.
MTN, in a statement released late Thursday, however, clarified that the incident did not impact its core network, billing systems, or financial services infrastructure, all of which remain secure and fully operational.
The company noted that the breach involved a third party gaining access to parts of its systems, raising concerns about potential data exposure.
“At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers’ accounts and wallets have been directly compromised,” the company added.
Immediate response and ongoing investigations
Following the discovery of the breach, MTN said it swiftly activated its cybersecurity response protocols.
The telecoms giant informed law enforcement authorities in South Africa, including the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks, and has also notified relevant regulatory agencies in affected countries.
The company stated it is cooperating closely with these authorities as investigations continue and is in the process of notifying affected customers in line with local regulatory requirements.
What customers should do
As a precaution, MTN is urging its customers to remain vigilant and adopt recommended cybersecurity practices. These include:
- Placing a fraud alert on their credit reports with major credit bureaus.
- Regularly updating MTN, MoMo, and banking applications.
- Using strong, unique passwords and changing them frequently.
- Avoiding suspicious links and messages.
- Never disclosing sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, or OTPs via phone, SMS, or email.
- Enabling multifactor authentication where available.
MTN emphasized that the privacy and security of customer information remains its top priority. “We remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders,” the company stated.
The Group assured stakeholders that it is managing the situation carefully and will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
What you should know
The MTN cybersecurity breach comes at a time when telecoms and financial services providers are under increasing pressure to bolster digital security amid rising cyber threats globally.
- Just last week, South Korea’s largest mobile operator, SK Telecom, issued a warning that a malware infection allowed threat actors to access sensitive USIM-related information for customers.
- The company reported that they detected malware on their systems at 11 PM local time on Saturday, April 19, 2025, in a weekend cyberattack when most organizations are understaffed.
