Africa’s largest telecom operator, MTN Group has disclosed a cybersecurity breach that exposed personal data belonging to some customers in select markets.
However, the company assured the public that its core infrastructure remains secure.
In a statement released on Thursday, MTN said an unknown third party had gained limited access to parts of its systems. The company stressed there is no evidence that critical platforms — including its core network, billing systems, or mobile financial services — were compromised.
“Our core infrastructure remains fully operational and secure,” MTN said. “There is no indication that customer accounts or digital wallets were directly affected.”
Headquartered in Johannesburg, MTN serves over 280 million subscribers across 19 countries. The telecom giant has notified law enforcement agencies, including the South African Police Service and the Hawks, and is working with regulatory bodies in affected countries to investigate the incident.
As a precaution, MTN is alerting affected customers and advising them to take steps to protect their data. These include updating apps, using strong passwords, avoiding suspicious links, and enabling multi-factor authentication where possible.
The company also urged users not to share sensitive information such as PINs or one-time passwords via phone, text, or email.
