MTN Nigeria yesterday confirmed that it was targeted in a cyber attack but has moved to calm concerns, assuring customers, partners and stakeholders that its key systems and customer data were not compromised.
The telecoms giant in a statement released on Thursday revealed that it had detected unauthorised activity within its network, and had acted swiftly to isolate and neutralise the threat.
In 2023 alone, MTN Nigeria reported suffering more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable. The operator relocated 2,500 kilometres of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost exceeding N11 billion—enough to build 870 kilometres of new fiber lines in areas without coverage.
“Our collective national web is anchored on secure and resilient telecommunications infrastructure. Hence, the need for an efficient CNIPP cannot be overstated,” Association of Licensed Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ALTON) Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said at a cybersecurity forum in Abuja.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, said the attackers had sought to disrupt operation, but their attempts were unsuccessful.
He said the incident did not affect Nigeria specifically, and critical infrastructure, including customer information and core business functions, remained secure.
“We take cybersecurity very seriously and have robust systems in place to detect, isolate and neutralise threats.
“Although this attack attempted to breach our defences, our security protocols worked as intended, and our core infrastructure remains secure,” Toriola stated.
MTN did not disclose the nature or origin of the cyberattack on its systems, Cybersecurity analysts have warned that telecom companies across Africa are becoming prime targets for cybercriminals. This growing threat is linked to the sector’s vast subscriber base and the continent’s rapidly expanding digital economy.An internal source within MTN confirmed that the breach did not affect operations in Nigeria, reinforcing the company’s earlier statement that local infrastructure and services remain intact.
The attack comes at a time when Nigeria is accelerating its digital transformation agenda, an ambitious effort that places increased responsibility on service providers to strengthen their cybersecurity protocols.
MTN has pledged to work closely with cybersecurity experts and government authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.
The company also affirmed its commitment to bolstering its systems and defences to prevent future breaches and safeguard customer trust.
Telecom networks are high-priority, high-impact targets for cyberattacks. According to the Microsoft Digital Defense Report, cyberattacks against critical telecom infrastructure have risen 40 per cent in two years.
According to Censys, a security community’s trusted source for Internet visibility and intelligence, in 2023, Russian hackers were able to infiltrate Ukrainian telecom operator Kyivstar and knock out services for over 48 hours.
(The Nation)
