Airtel refutes data breach claims

Srinagar, July 5: Airtel India has vehemently denied allegations of a data breach involving 375 million customer records reportedly put up for sale on the dark web. The telecom giant dismisses these claims as a "desperate attempt to tarnish Airtel's reputation by vested interests."

According to a statement, the controversy arose when Dark Web Informer, a Twitter account, reported that an unverified hacker named xenZen was allegedly selling Airtel India customer data on BreachForums, a dark web community. The purported breach, claimed to have occurred in June 2024, supposedly includes sensitive information such as mobile numbers, names, birth dates, addresses, Aadhaar details, and more. The data was reportedly being offered for USD 50,000 in XMR cryptocurrency.

Notably, the alleged seller also claimed responsibility for a recent data leak from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

In response to these allegations, Airtel stated, "We have conducted a thorough investigation and can confirm that there has been no breach whatsoever from Airtel systems." The company maintains that its customer data remains secure and uncompromised.

As the situation develops, cybersecurity experts advise Airtel customers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to their personal information.