What happened and why it matters
A major data exposure discovered by cybersecurity researchers has left roughly 273,000 Indian bank transfer documents publicly accessible on an unsecured cloud server.
The files — completed transfer forms tied to India’s National Automated Clearing House (NACH) system — included account numbers, transaction amounts and contact details for customers at dozens of banks. The leak raises immediate fraud and privacy risks for affected customers and highlights continuing cloud configuration failures in finance.
Cloud misconfiguration exposes Indian bank transfer records (what was found and scale)
Security firm UpGuard and several reporters found the exposed dataset in late August and disclosed it this month. Researchers say the bucket contained about 273,160 PDF files totaling around 210 GB of data, all apparently related to NACH recurring payments — payroll, loan repayments and utility collections.
The documents referenced transactions across dozens of banks and financial institutions, increasing the scope of the exposure.
Which banks and data types were exposed
Published reporting and UpGuard’s analysis indicate the files contained payer and payee names, bank account and branch details, transaction reference numbers, amounts and contact information.
Multiple outlets noted the leak touched records tied to at least 38 banks and finance firms, though no single institution immediately accepted responsibility for the misconfigured server.
How the leak happened: cloud misconfiguration, not a hack
Investigators describe the incident as a misconfigured cloud storage bucket — an important but preventable error where files are left publicly readable. This is distinct from a targeted breach: there’s no public evidence the data was stolen by hackers, only that it was exposed until researchers flagged and the bucket was secured. Still, exposed files can be copied rapidly by anyone who finds them, so the practical risk to customers is real.
Immediate risks: fraud, identity theft and targeted scams
Exposed bank transfer documents can enable fraud in several ways: attackers can social-engineer banks or customers, attempt unauthorized transfers using leaked reference details, or craft convincing phishing messages.
Banks and regulators warn that even partial financial details make customers vulnerable to targeted scams. Customers named in the documents should monitor bank statements and contact their bank immediately if they notice suspicious activity.
What banks, regulators and cloud users must do now
Security experts and UpGuard recommend:
- Immediate notice: Affected banks should notify customers and regulators where required.
- Forensic review: Audit logs, object access histories and IAM policies must be checked to see who accessed the files.
- Fix configs & controls: Lock down public buckets, require least-privilege access, enable MFA and object-level encryption.
- Customer protection: Offer monitoring, fraud alerts, and simple remediation steps for exposed customers.
Broader lesson — cloud hygiene remains a hot spot for financial data risk
This incident joins a string of high-profile exposures tied to misconfigurations rather than sophisticated intrusions. Analysts say cloud misconfiguration remains one of the most common, easily preventable causes of large-scale data exposure — especially when third-party vendors or payment processors hold bulk documents. Financial services must treat cloud hygiene as a core compliance and operational priority. …Bright Defense
Frequently Asked Questions
How many records were exposed in the leak?
Researchers reported about **273,160 PDF files** (roughly 273K documents) were found on an unsecured cloud server. These were NACH transfer forms.
What kind of data was in the files?
The documents included account numbers, transaction amounts, payer/payee names, bank branch details and contact information — data that could enable fraud.
Were customers’ money stolen?
There is no public evidence of a targeted theft; the issue was exposed data from a misconfigured bucket. However, exposed details can be used in scams, so customers should monitor accounts.
Which banks were affected?
Reports say records touched **dozens** of banks and financial firms (reporting cites at least 38 institutions), but no single bank immediately claimed responsibility for the misconfiguration.
What should I do if my details are in the leak?
Contact your bank, enable transaction alerts, change online banking passwords, monitor statements closely and consider fraud monitoring services. Banks should provide guidance if they confirm exposure.
Author note
I cover cybersecurity and fintech incidents using primary reports and specialist researchers. For this story I relied on UpGuard’s findings and reporting by TechCrunch, YourStory and other outlets. I treated ownership claims carefully and used only documented findings.