SBI Confirms Cyber Incident, 3,897 Customer Records Suspected to Be Exposed on Dark Web
The State Bank of India (SBI) has confirmed a suspected cybersecurity incident involving the exposure of 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information on the dark web. In a filing with stock exchanges, the country’s largest public sector lender said the incident had not materially affected its core banking operations, financial performance or business continuity.
According to SBI, it received alerts on October 16 from its Threat Intelligence Service Provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) about the suspected exposure of customer information.
During a preliminary analysis of approximately 3.75 lakh records discovered on the dark web, the bank identified 3,897 records containing personally identifiable information. The potentially exposed data reportedly included customers’ names, registered mobile numbers, dates of birth, gender, email addresses and residential addresses.
The records also contained branch-related details, Customer Information File (CIF) identifiers, lead IDs and metadata associated with loan applications, leads and other related files, according to the bank’s regulatory filing.
SBI Says Core Banking Services Remain Unaffected
Despite the suspected data exposure, SBI said its core banking operations continued without disruption. The bank added that it had promptly activated its cybersecurity incident response and containment protocols following the alerts.
SBI stated that a comprehensive investigation was necessary to verify the authenticity and completeness of the exposed records, determine the source of the incident, establish the extent of the potential data breach and assess the associated risks to customers and the bank.
The lender said it was closely monitoring the situation and would take appropriate action in line with applicable regulatory requirements as the investigation progressed.
Hacker Group Claims Under Scrutiny
The incident follows an earlier report by India Today Tech concerning claims made by an anonymous hacker group identified as Siriusim. The group reportedly claimed on the dark web forum BreachForums that it had obtained information relating to approximately 3.75 lakh SBI customers.
However, SBI has not publicly identified the group responsible for the suspected exposure, and the investigation is expected to establish the source and scope of the incident.
The development comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of cybersecurity risks across India’s banking sector. In July, Bank of Baroda acknowledged a data leak reportedly involving around 1 terabyte of customer data.
The SBI incident highlights the importance of safeguarding sensitive customer information, even when a cybersecurity event does not directly disrupt banking services. The full extent of the exposure and its potential implications for affected customers remain subject to the ongoing investigation.
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