MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecom provider, has confirmed it experienced a cybersecurity breach affecting some customer data in select markets. However, the company emphasized that its core infrastructure—including networks, billing systems, and financial platforms—remains secure and fully operational.
In a statement published on its website on Thursday, the Johannesburg-based telecom giant revealed that an unidentified third party had gained unauthorized access to portions of its systems. While the full extent of the breach is still under investigation, MTN assured customers and stakeholders that there is currently no evidence that digital wallets or individual customer accounts were compromised.
“There is no indication of any compromise to our critical infrastructure or key platforms,” the company stated. “Our core network, billing systems, and financial services infrastructure continue to operate securely.”
MTN, which operates in 19 countries and serves over 280 million customers, has alerted law enforcement authorities, including the South African Police Service and the Hawks, and is working closely with relevant agencies in impacted regions to support ongoing investigations.
The company also disclosed that it has begun notifying affected customers in line with local data protection laws and regulatory obligations.
“As part of our mitigation efforts, we are directly contacting customers whose information may have been affected, and we are providing them with guidance on protecting their data,” MTN noted.
To help customers protect themselves from potential misuse of their data, MTN issued safety recommendations, including:
Placing fraud alerts on credit reports
Regularly updating applications and software
Using strong, unique passwords
Being cautious of unsolicited communications with suspicious links
Avoiding the sharing of sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, or one-time passcodes via phone, text, or email
Enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible
MTN reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and customer security, pledging to provide regular updates as more information becomes available.
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