Bank of Baroda Investigates Reported Customer Data Leak
Bank of Baroda has launched a forensic investigation following reports by a source and a researcher that one terabyte of customer data was leaked online.
Bank of Baroda customer data was leaked online, according to a researcher and reporting by Reuters. The incident marks a significant breach for one of India's major public sector banks, exposing sensitive customer information. The leak has drawn attention from regulators and cybersecurity experts concerned about the scale of the exposure and the bank's data protection practices. Authorities are investigating the source and extent of the breach.
A researcher and a source have told Reuters that customer data from Bank of Baroda was leaked online, prompting the public sector lender to launch a forensic investigation into the breach. The bank confirmed the probe in a statement on Monday, a day after social media posts flagged the exposure, saying it was working closely with relevant authorities in line with regulatory requirements (The Hindu).
According to the bank, the incident stemmed from the compromise of an employee’s email account, which allowed unauthorised access to certain data. Bank of Baroda said its core banking systems were not accessed and “continue to remain secure,” a point it reiterated through a post on its official X handle (The Hindu). The lender added that it had robust information security protocols in place and that immediate containment measures were implemented once the matter was identified.
Social media discussions and media reports cited by the bank claimed that over one terabyte of data — including personal Aadhaar details of customers — had been accessed and posted on the dark web for free (The Hindu). The dark web is a private internet network where users’ location information cannot be tracked and content is not indexed on the World Wide Web. It was not immediately clear how many customers were affected by the leak (The Hindu).
The breach arrives amid growing concerns over cybersecurity risks facing large companies and financial institutions that store vast amounts of customer and business data. Bank of Baroda’s statement did not specify the exact volume of data exfiltrated or provide a timeline for the completion of the forensic investigation.
Reuters India·The Hindu