CPI(M) MP Calls for Investigation into SBI Customer Data Leak on Dark Web

Thiruvananthapuram, October 22 (Daily Kiran) : A.A. Rahim, a member of the Rajya Sabha from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to intervene following reports of customer data from the State Bank of India (SBI) appearing on the dark web. He is calling for an independent investigation into the leak, expressing serious concerns about the security of personal information held by the country’s largest public sector bank.

Rahim has requested the Finance Ministry to identify the source and extent of the suspected data leak. He emphasized the need to directly inform affected customers and strengthen cybersecurity measures across public sector banks.

This demand comes amid reports indicating that SBI has identified records of 3,897 customers on the dark web, which include sensitive personal information. On October 16, the bank received alerts regarding this data leak from its threat intelligence service provider, the Defence Cyber Agency, and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). A cybersecurity agency has been tasked with investigating the incident.

The leaked information reportedly includes customer names, registered mobile numbers, birth dates, email addresses, home addresses, branch details, Customer Information File (CIF) identifiers, and metadata related to loans and leads.

Rahim warned that if such information falls into the wrong hands, it could lead to identity theft, targeted phishing, impersonation, and financial fraud. Vulnerable groups such as pensioners, laborers, and small business owners could be particularly at risk.

He argued that the absence of disruptions in banking services does not diminish the seriousness of the data leak. SBI has stated that the incident has not significantly affected its core operations or business continuity. Rahim has called for a clear timeline for the investigation and urged the bank to create accessible channels for customers to report suspected fraud and seek assistance.

Additionally, he demanded full transparency regarding the investigation’s findings and the corrective measures taken. He insisted that the issue should not be confined to SBI alone, urging the Finance Ministry to review cybersecurity measures across all public sector banks, enhance real-time threat detection capabilities, and enforce accountability wherever negligence or security lapses are found.

The letter emphasizes that public sector banks have a responsibility to protect customers’ private information, even if their main banking systems are operating normally. The full scope and source of the suspected data leak remain under investigation.