Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank: Hackers hit Zenith Bank, steal customers’ information

Zenith Bank Confirms Cyberattack, Customer Data Exposed in Global Hacking Campaign

Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria’s largest financial institutions, disclosed a cyberattack on its systems, resulting in the theft of limited customer information. In an email sent to customers on Tuesday, the bank confirmed that hackers accessed email addresses and phone numbers as part of a broader global cyber offensive targeting organizations across multiple sectors.

While Zenith Bank emphasized that its banking services and digital platforms remain secure and operational, it activated incident response protocols and cybersecurity measures following the breach. The bank is conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident.

This attack follows a similar attempted breach at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) in August 2024, where hackers targeted the bank’s website domain without compromising customer data. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had previously warned of rising cyber threats, including fraudulent messages and phishing attempts falsely attributed to the regulator. These scams often lure victims into clicking malicious links while spreading misinformation about the CBN’s policies and leadership.

Zenith Bank has urged customers to remain cautious against phishing attempts but assured that no passwords, PINs, or OTPs were exposed in the breach. The incident underscores the escalating cyber risks facing Nigeria’s financial sector.

Source: https://www.thecable.ng/hackers-hit-zenith-bank-steal-customers-information/

Guaranty Trust cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/gtcoplc

Zenith Bank Plc cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/zenith-bank-group

"id": "GTCZEN1785882465",
"linkid": "gtcoplc, zenith-bank-group",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "8/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Banking',
                        'location': 'Nigeria',
                        'name': 'Zenith Bank',
                        'size': 'Large',
                        'type': 'Financial Institution'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'Email sent to customers warning about phishing '
                        'attempts and confirming no sensitive data (passwords, '
                        'PINs, OTPs) was exposed',
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Email addresses and '
                                                        'phone numbers',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'Limited (email addresses and phone '
                                        'numbers)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': 'Customer information'},
 'description': 'Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria’s largest financial institutions, '
                'disclosed a cyberattack on its systems, resulting in the '
                'theft of limited customer information, including email '
                'addresses and phone numbers, as part of a broader global '
                'cyber offensive targeting organizations across multiple '
                'sectors.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Email addresses and phone numbers',
            'operational_impact': 'Banking services and digital platforms '
                                  'remain secure and operational',
            'payment_information_risk': 'No passwords, PINs, or OTPs were '
                                        'exposed'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'recommendations': 'Customers urged to remain cautious against phishing '
                    'attempts',
 'references': [{'source': 'News Article'}],
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Email sent to customers',
              'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes'},
 'title': 'Zenith Bank Cyberattack - Customer Data Exposed',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}