Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) has confirmed an isolated hacking attempt aimed at compromising its website domain but reassured customers that no data was compromised.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, followed the bank’s recent renewal of its domain name, leading to a temporary disruption of its online services.
The attempted breach sparked widespread concern and media speculation that the bank’s website had been cloned, potentially putting sensitive customer information at risk.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, GTBank’s management clarified that the attempt was unsuccessful and the website had not been cloned.
The statement, titled “Alleged Web Domain Hack: GTBank Provides Clarity,” addressed the media reports suggesting a severe security breach.
It read, “While there was an isolated incident of an attempt to compromise our website domain, we would like to assure all our customers and stakeholders that the bank’s website has not been cloned and that we do not store customer information on our website, and as such, there has been no instance of compromise of customer data.”
According to the bank, the temporary disruption was due to the efforts of its information security experts working to secure the domain settings.
The statement further emphasized that the bank’s commitment to protecting customer data remains steadfast.
GTBank urged customers to remain calm and confident in its security measures. The bank’s website has since been restored and is now fully operational.
The statement also acknowledged the concern raised by the incident and expressed gratitude for the continued support of its customers.
“GTBank is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of security and has implemented robust measures to protect our digital infrastructure,” the statement concluded.
“We urge all our customers to disregard the claims made in recent media reports and assure them of our unwavering commitment to safeguarding their data.”
In the wake of the incident, additional checks confirmed that the website is functioning normally.
GTBank continues to monitor the situation closely and has reassured stakeholders that all necessary steps are being taken to prevent future occurrences.
The incident underscores the ongoing challenges financial institutions face in securing digital platforms against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
Despite the disruption, GTBank’s swift response and transparent communication have helped to mitigate potential concerns among its clientele.