State Bank of India Discloses Customer Info Leak After External Warning

India's largest lender, the State Bank of India, informed stock exchanges on October 21, 2026, about a security incident involving customer records appearing on hidden internet forums. The bank learned of the exposure five days after it happened, receiving alerts on October 16 from its threat intelligence provider, the Defence Cyber Agency, and CERT-In. The institution serves 53 crore customers, meaning every third Indian holds an account, and reported a net profit exceeding ₹80,000 crore for fiscal year 2026.

Investigation and Claims

A hacking group named Siriusim claimed to have published 3.75 lakh rows of data and 2,722 PDF files, including loan forms and account opening documents. SBI stated that its core business operations remain completely normal with no financial disruptions. During a preliminary check of about 375,000 records found online, the bank identified 3,897 entries containing personal information. Security experts note that stolen records typically enter a secondary shadow market, where attackers combine them with older leaks to launch targeted phishing and loan scams.

Demands and Risks

The Internet Freedom Foundation urged SBI to clarify what the remaining unverified documents and records contain, and whether they include official identity documents like Aadhaar, PAN, or passport copies. Experts suggest the leak likely originated from third-party vendor systems rather than core banking infrastructure. Affected customers face heightened risks of impersonation and fraudulent calls, and authorities advise ignoring unexpected messages and never sharing secure one-time passwords.

Context

Large financial institutions manage extensive digital records and rely on numerous third-party technology partners, creating multiple potential entry points for digital attackers. When personal details like names, dates of birth, and addresses leak, bad actors use them over long periods to trick individuals into believing fake calls are genuine. Banks generally respond to such incidents by hiring specialized forensic agencies, reviewing vendor security, and urging customers to remain cautious.