Huge mobile network with millions of customers hit by cyberattack – what it means for you

LYCA Mobile has been hit by a cyberattack that has stopped customers from being able to make calls and access top-ups.

The mobile network has more than 16 million customers across 22 countries.

Affected services have now been restored for all customersCredit: Alamy

Customers in the United States, Australia, Ukraine and Tunisia were not impacted by the attack, according to the company.

In a statement, the company said: “Following investigations carried out as a result of disruption to our network, it has become clear that Lyca Mobile has been the victim of a cyber attack.

“We first became aware of issues over the weekend, which were preventing customers and retailers from accessing top-ups through our channels.

“It also impacted some national and international calling.”

Most read in Tech

This means the information has been scrambled into a cipher that cannot be read by anyone without permission.

The network provider has brought in a third party specialists to secure its systems and minimise the cyberattack’s impact on customers.

Law enforcement bodies in each impacted country have also been notified.

“Our number one priority is ensuring the safety and security of our customers’ data, and we are urgently investigating whether any personal information may have been compromised as part of this attack,” Lyca’s statement continued.

“We are confident that all our records are fully encrypted, and we will keep customers updated on the outcome of our investigation as we work with our expert partners to establish the facts.”