SBI has notified customers whose personal information was identified in a suspected dark web data exposure involving 3,897 records. The bank confirmed that customer funds remain safe, banking services are operating normally, and a detailed cybersecurity investigation is underway.
The State Bank of India (SBI) has informed customers whose personal information was identified during a preliminary investigation into a suspected cybersecurity incident involving data allegedly exposed on the dark web. The public sector bank confirmed that the incident has not affected customer account balances or funds.
In its latest statement, SBI said it had contacted the identified customers individually through email and/or WhatsApp. The bank’s preliminary examination of approximately 3.75 lakh records identified 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information (PII), prompting a detailed investigation into the suspected data exposure.
According to the bank’s stock exchange filing, alerts regarding the potential exposure were received on October 16 from its Threat Intelligence Service Provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
The information identified in the preliminary assessment reportedly included registered mobile numbers, dates of birth, names, gender, email addresses, residential addresses, branch details, Customer Information File (CIF) identifiers, lead IDs and metadata associated with loan and lead records.
Following the alerts, SBI activated its cybersecurity incident response and containment procedures. It also engaged an independent cybersecurity agency empanelled by CERT-In to examine the incident and establish the nature and extent of the suspected exposure.
The bank has advised customers to follow secure digital banking practices and avoid disclosing one-time passwords (OTPs), personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords to anyone. Customers have also been urged to remain alert to suspicious phone calls, messages and emails.
SBI stated that the incident has not materially affected its business operations, financial performance or business continuity. Its core banking services continue to function normally without disruption. CASansaar
Source: CA Sansaar