SBI probes claimed dark web exposure of records of 3,897 customers

A cyberattack has been claimed on State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest public sector bank. The bank has itself said that records of 3,897 customers were exposed on the dark web in the attack. A preliminary probe has found that the data includes customers' personal information along with loan-related details.

This has raised fears that the leaked information could be used to target customers with cyber fraud. SBI has appointed an independent cybersecurity firm to investigate the matter. The bank says the incident is not expected to have a major impact on its core business, financial operations or its ability to keep banking services running.

According to the preliminary analysis, the data exposed on the dark web is said to include customers' names, mobile numbers, dates of birth, email IDs and home addresses. It is also claimed that some numbers linked to customers' identity, loan records and application details have surfaced.

According to the Twitter account 'CyberPulse', which tracks cybersecurity activity, the attack has been linked to a group called 'Siriusim'. The account also said the matter first surfaced on October 16. The data is claimed to contain 3.75 lakh CSV columns and 2,722 PDF documents. However, what exactly these figures mean and how they relate to the records of 3,897 customers needs to be clarified separately.

Using the leaked personal information, cyber fraudsters could call customers posing as SBI officials. They could try to extract OTPs, passwords or other confidential information on pretexts such as a KYC update, loan approval, an irregularity in the account or confirmation of a transaction. The same details could also be used to send fake SMS messages, emails or links to trap customers. Prashant Mali, a Mumbai-based lawyer who specialises in cyber, artificial intelligence and data security matters, has urged customers to take special care.

Customers should not click on unknown links. They should not share their OTP, ATM PIN, password or CVV with anyone. If they get a suspicious call about a loan, KYC or bank account, they should not trust the caller and should verify the information through official SBI channels. They should also avoid opening attachments in emails from unknown senders.

If customers notice any suspicious transaction in their account or an attempted fraud, they should contact SBI's official customer service immediately. In case of financial cyber fraud, a complaint can be filed on the national helpline 1930. The claim of a data leak does not mean that money has been stolen from the account of every customer concerned. Even so, SBI customers must stay alert to prevent misuse of their personal information.