State Bank of India (SBI) is investigating a suspected data exposure after identifying personal information in 3,897 customer records reportedly found on the dark web. The country’s largest lender said it received alerts about the issue last week and has initiated cyber incident response procedures. The bank has also appointed an independent cybersecurity agency to assess the suspected compromise and determine the source, scope, and potential impact of the exposure.
According to SBI’s October 21 stock-exchange filing, the bank first received alerts on October 16 from its Threat Intelligence Service Provider, the Defence Cyber Agency, and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). Its initial review covered around 375,000 records found on the dark web. Of these, 3,897 records were found to contain personal customer information. SBI is now verifying whether the exposed records are genuine and complete, while also attempting to trace their origin and assess the risks for affected customers and the bank.
The exposed records reportedly included customers’ names, dates of birth, gender, registered mobile numbers, email addresses, and home addresses. They also contained branch and Customer Information File identifiers, lead IDs, and metadata linked to loan and lead records. Although the information does not appear to include banking passwords or transaction credentials, personal and loan-related details can still be misused for phishing, identity fraud, targeted scams, and social-engineering attacks.
SBI said it activated its cyber incident response and containment procedures after receiving the alerts. The bank has engaged a CERT-In-empanelled independent cybersecurity agency to investigate the matter and is working on remedial and preventive measures in line with regulatory requirements. SBI added that it is continuing to monitor the situation and will take appropriate steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The bank has sought to reassure customers that the incident has not materially affected its financial performance, core business operations, or ability to continue services. Core banking functions are reportedly running normally, with no disruption reported. However, customers should remain cautious: avoid clicking unexpected links claiming to be from SBI, never share OTPs, passwords, or card details, and verify suspicious communications directly through the bank’s official app, website, or customer-care channels. The investigation is ongoing, and further clarity is expected once SBI confirms whether the dark-web data is authentic and identifies how it was exposed.
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