SBI says customer funds safe after 3,897 records found on dark web

SBI assured customers their funds are safe after 3,897 records with PII were found on the dark web. The bank said a small number of customers were affected and it has activated its cyber incident response protocols and an investigation is underway.

State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday assured customers that their account balances remain safe following the identification of 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information (PII) in a preliminary analysis of data suspected to have been exposed on the dark web. In a post on X, the bank said, "Customer balances are completely safe." SBI also said that the incident had impacted "a very very small number of customers" and assured that it had taken steps to protect their interests.

Details of the Data Exposure

According to SBI's disclosure, the bank received communications on October 16 from its Threat Intelligence Service Provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) regarding an alert about the suspected exposure of customer data on the dark web. During a preliminary analysis of approximately 3,75,000 records available on the dark web, the bank identified 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information.

The information reportedly included customers' registered mobile numbers, dates of birth, names, gender, email addresses and residential addresses. The records also contained branch and Customer Information File (CIF) identifiers, lead IDs, and metadata associated with loan and lead records and other related files.

Bank's Response and Investigation

SBI said it had promptly activated its cyber incident response and containment protocols after receiving the alert. It also engaged an independent cybersecurity agency empanelled by CERT-In to conduct a comprehensive assessment and investigate the nature and extent of the alleged compromise.

The bank said a detailed investigation was necessary to establish the authenticity and completeness of the exposed data, determine the potential source and extent of the exposure, and assess the risks associated with the incident for customers and the bank. The assessment is currently underway, and appropriate remedial and preventive measures are being implemented as required.

SBI further clarified that the incident has no material impact on its IT and core business operations, financial performance or business continuity. Its core business functions continue to operate normally without disruption.

Reiterating its commitment to customer security, the bank said the safety of customers' financial assets and data, along with their trust, remained its highest priorities. (ANI)

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