SBI says customer balances are safe despite data leak

State Bank of India (SBI) has said that a recent cyber incident involving a data leak affected a very small number of customers, while assuring account holders that their money remains safe.

In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), SBI said to customers that the incident had not materially affected its information technology systems, core business operations, financial performance or business continuity.

The bank also said it was taking all possible steps to protect customers' interests following the incident.

Reassuring customers about the safety of their money, the bank said customer balances were completely safe.

The bank added that protecting customers' financial assets, data and trust remained its highest priorities.

State Bank of India in its regulatory filing stated on Wednesday, “The bank received communications from its threat intelligence service provider, the defence cyber agency, and CERT-In regarding an alert concerning the suspected exposure of the bank’s customer data on the dark web.

Which information was exposed in the cyber attack on SBI?

SBI stated that exposed information reportedly included customers’ registered mobile numbers, dates of birth, names, gender, email addresses, residential addresses, branch and CIF identifiers, lead IDs, and metadata associated with loan/lead records and other related files.

Which steps has SBI taken to investigate and contain the data leak?

The bank said that a detailed investigation was required to establish the authenticity and completeness of the exposed data, determine the potential source and extent of the exposure, and assess the associated risks to customers and the bank.

SBI said that it has promptly activated its cyber incident response and containment protocols. Additionally, an independent CERT-In-empanelled cybersecurity agency was engaged to conduct a comprehensive assessment and investigate the nature and extent of the alleged compromise.

It also said that it will continue to monitor the situation closely and take all appropriate measures in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.