Overview
State Bank of India (SBI) confirmed on October 21, 2026, in a notification under SEBI's listing regulations, that customer personal data has been leaked. The bank was alerted on October 16 by three entities: its threat intelligence provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and CERT-In.
What Was Found
- A preliminary analysis of 375,000 records on the dark web identified 3,897 customer records containing PII. SBI has not said whether these belong to 3,897 distinct individuals.
- Dark Reading reports the data was posted on BreachForums by an account named "Siriusim." Mumbai's Free Press Journal verified that PII in the samples belonged to real Indian citizens.
Data Fields Listed
Per the filing, exposed fields include mobile numbers, dates of birth, names, gender, email addresses, residential addresses, branch and CIF identifiers, lead IDs, and loan or lead metadata.
The filing does not list account numbers, balances, passwords, OTPs, card details, or PAN/Aadhaar numbers.
Source Unknown
SBI says it does not yet know where the data came from. Lead IDs and loan metadata suggest sales or lead-management data rather than core banking systems, but that is an inference and has not been confirmed by the bank.
Response
SBI activated its cyber incident response protocols and engaged an independent CERT-In-empanelled agency to investigate. It says core operations are unaffected. Customers are advised to watch for phishing, keep transaction alerts on, and report unauthorized transactions immediately.
Why a Small Leak Still Matters
Dark Reading notes that relatively small breaches in India can become serious because of a sophisticated underground market for trading PII. Even without financial credentials, names, phone numbers and loan context are well suited to convincing vishing and SMS phishing impersonating the bank.
Recommendations
- Treat unsolicited calls or messages referencing a loan or lead as suspect; SBI will not ask for OTPs or PINs.
- Verify any contact by calling the number printed on your card or the official site.
- Enable transaction alerts and review statements.