By Bank of Baroda is facing an alleged data leak of close to a terabyte and has launched a forensic probe into the incident.
Cybersecurity researcher Srikanth Lakshmanan, founder of the consumer advocacy platform Cashless Consumer, first spotted the dataset listed on a dark web site over the weekend.
The alleged leak reportedly includes customer identity documents, loan application and appraisal records, internal audit reports, branch documents, customer application forms and internal communications.
Some unverified reports also claim the dataset contains Aadhaar numbers and account details linked to savings, current and loan accounts, along with NRI and corporate banking customer information.
Certain researchers have linked the breach to a threat actor known as TripleX, previously associated with attacks on Indonesian financial institutions, although this remains unconfirmed.
Bank of Baroda said the incident resulted from the compromise of an employee’s email account rather than any breach of its core banking systems.
“The bank’s core banking systems were not accessed and continue to remain secure,” it said, adding that a comprehensive forensic investigation was already underway.
The bank said it was working with relevant authorities as it continues to investigate the scope of the alleged leak.
Bank of Baroda shares slipped 1.50 per cent to Rs 240.35 on the NSE on July 28, weighed down by both the alleged breach and softer first-quarter FY27 earnings.
The bank said it moved to contain the incident immediately upon detection and was complying with all applicable regulatory requirements while the investigation continued.
Bank of Baroda is one of India’s largest public sector banks, with a network spanning thousands of branches across the country as well as international operations in several countries.
Data breaches involving Indian financial institutions have drawn increasing regulatory attention in recent years, with lenders required to report significant cybersecurity incidents to sector regulators within stipulated timeframes.
(Image: Photo by Raghavan2010, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
