MTN has confirmed that it was a recent target of a disruptive cyber attack that affected network delivery to its loyal customers.
The telecoms giant recently revealed that vital systems and customer data were uncompromised during the breach because the company acted quickly to nullify the threat.
Assuring its customers and partners of smooth service delivery after the incident, MTN Nigeria disclosed that everyone can remain calm since the detected unauthorised activity within its network has already been addressed.
Recall that 2 years ago, the popular network company endured over 6,000 cuts on its fibre cable, forcing MTN to relocate about 2,500 kilometres of breached fibre cables at a price that exceeded N11 billion, an amount huge enough to build 870 kilometres of new fibre lines in areas without coverage.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, the brains behind the attack did everything they could to obstruct their smooth operation, but their attempts failed miserably as all hands were on deck to ensure key infrastructure, including customer details and vital business functions, stayed secure.
Disclosing that the breach didn’t affect its Nigerian customers alone, Karl maintained that MTN has always taken cybersecurity seriously by consistently having quality systems available to detect, tackle and conquer all forms of threats from time to time.
“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,” he said.
Also speaking at a cybersecurity forum in Abuja, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, added that telecommunications infrastructure remains very key to national prosperity, therefore, an effective CNIPP has to always be guaranteed.
“Our collective national web is anchored on secure and resilient telecommunications infrastructure. Hence, the need for an efficient CNIPP cannot be overstated,” he added.
