ZENITH Bank Plc has confirmed that it recently suffered a cyberattack in which hackers gained access to limited customer information, even as the financial institution assured customers that its banking services and digital platforms remain secure and fully operational.
News Point Nigeria reports that the bank disclosed that the breach formed part of a broader global cyberattack targeting organisations across multiple sectors.
According to the lender, the compromised information was limited to customers’ email addresses and phone numbers, stressing that no disruption was recorded on its banking operations or digital channels.
The bank explained that immediately the incident was detected, it activated its incident response protocols and other cybersecurity measures to contain the breach while investigations into the attack commenced.
“As a precaution, we encourage our customers to remain vigilant against phishing emails, text messages, or phone calls, and to never disclose their password, PIN, One-Time Password (OTP), or other security credentials to anyone,” the bank advised.
Zenith Bank reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding customers’ information and expressed appreciation for the trust reposed in the institution, adding that investigations into the cyberattack are still ongoing.
The latest development comes nearly two years after Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) reported a similar cybersecurity incident in August 2024.
At the time, the commercial bank disclosed that there were attempts to compromise its website domain but maintained that customers’ data remained secure and was not affected by the attack.
The incident also follows earlier warnings by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over increasing cyber hack attempts aimed at gaining access to the personal accounts and sensitive information of Nigerians.
The apex bank had alerted the public that cybercriminals were circulating fraudulent emails and messages falsely claiming to originate from the CBN in an attempt to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
According to the regulator, the misleading communications were designed to compromise recipients’ personal information through suspicious links while spreading false claims relating to the bank’s leadership, licensing activities and policy decisions.
The CBN urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and ignore such fraudulent communications, warning that customers should never disclose confidential banking or personal security information in response to unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls.
