MTN Confirms Cyber Attack on Its Network

MTN Nigeria has acknowledged that it recently fell victim to a cyber attack, but reassured customers, partners, and stakeholders that the country’s services were not impacted.

In a statement issued on Thursday, April 24, the company disclosed that it detected unauthorized activity within its network and acted swiftly to contain and isolate the breach.

CEO Karl Toriola stated that initial investigations indicated the attackers’ intent was to disrupt services, but they were unable to compromise critical systems such as customer data or core operations.

He emphasized that MTN’s core infrastructure remains secure, and the attack did not affect Nigeria’s services.

“We take cybersecurity very seriously and have robust systems in place to detect, isolate, and neutralize threats,” Toriola stated. “Although this attack attempted to breach our defenses, our security protocols worked as intended, and our core infrastructure remains secure.”

While MTN did not disclose specifics regarding the nature or origin of the breach, cybersecurity experts have highlighted the rising risks telecom operators in Africa face, particularly with the continent’s fast-paced digital adoption and large user base.

A source within MTN confirmed that Nigeria’s operations were unaffected, reinforcing trust in the integrity of the local network.

This attack occurs as Nigeria continues its digital transformation efforts, which are raising cybersecurity demands on service providers.

MTN assured that it is collaborating with cybersecurity experts and authorities to investigate the incident and fortify its defense systems to mitigate future threats.