This breach has resulted in the theft of 2 TB of sensitive data, which includes full names, contact details, ID numbers, banking information, driver’s license numbers, medical records, and passport details.

In response to the breach, Cell C is urging affected individuals to remain vigilant against potential fraud, phishing, and identity theft, providing resources for fraud prevention.

To address the breach, Cell C engaged cybersecurity experts, alerted authorities, and is actively monitoring for potential misuse of the compromised data.

The incident at Cell C highlights a broader trend, as ransomware attacks on U.S. healthcare providers surged in 2024, compromising 117 million records across 98 incidents.

Cell C, a major telecom provider in South Africa, has confirmed a significant data breach resulting from a cyberattack by the RansomHouse group.

The company acknowledged unauthorized access to its IT systems, with the stolen data now leaked on RansomHouse's dark web site.

RansomHouse, which has been active since December 2021, employs a data theft strategy rather than traditional data encryption, targeting organizations and publicly shaming those who refuse to pay.

This is not the first data security incident for the healthcare sector; a previous incident at Loretto Hospital in January 2023 involved a former employee misappropriating security footage, which was addressed with notifications to impacted individuals.

High-profile breaches in the healthcare sector have included incidents involving Change Healthcare, Summit Pathology, OnePoint Patient Care, and Boston Children’s Health Physicians, affecting millions of records.