The news
- MTN confirms a cybersecurity breach affecting customer data in undisclosed markets.
- Core systems, including billing and mobile money infrastructure, remain unaffected.
- The breach stemmed from unauthorised third-party access to parts of MTN’s environment.
- MTN has notified regulators and law enforcement in the impacted countries.
MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecom provider, has reported a cybersecurity breach that compromised customer data in some of its markets. While details remain limited, the company clarified that its core network and financial systems, including MoMo, were not impacted.
The breach, which MTN attributes to unauthorised third-party access, has triggered regulatory alerts and law enforcement involvement across affected countries. MTN did not name the specific markets involved, but its operations span 16 countries across Africa and the Middle East, including major markets like Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and South Africa.
“At this stage, we do not have any information to suggest that customers’ accounts and wallets have been directly compromised,” MTN said in a statement on Thursday.
Although the breach did not reach MTN’s core systems, the company’s wide regional presence raises concerns about data privacy infrastructure across borders, particularly in countries with less stringent cybersecurity laws.
This breach comes at a time when telcos are increasingly doubling as financial service providers, custodians of personal data, and major players in Africa’s digital infrastructure. In 2022, MTN’s mobile money platform processed over $204 billion in transaction value. A threat to customer data, even if indirect, puts a spotlight on the broader issue of cyber resilience across the continent’s tech ecosystem.
MTN says it has notified authorities in affected markets and launched a full internal investigation. South African police and cybercrime units, including the Hawks, have been briefed.
Affected customers are also being contacted in line with data protection laws in various countries.
As Africa’s digital economy accelerates, trust in infrastructure providers like MTN becomes just as critical as connectivity itself. This breach, though limited in scope, underscores the growing need for robust cybersecurity across borders, stronger regulatory frameworks, and greater transparency from companies entrusted with millions of users’ data.
