Government asks private firms to stop using IC numbers to prove person's identity
newsare.net
Private organisations in Singapore should stop using National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers to prove a person's identity as soon as possible, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) has said.In a media release on Thursday (JuneGovernment asks private firms to stop using IC numbers to prove person's identity
Private organisations in Singapore should stop using National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers to prove a person's identity as soon as possible, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) has said.In a media release on Thursday (June 26), MDDI said that while NRIC numbers may be used to identify a person over the phone or when using digital services, it should not be used for authenticating access to private services or information meant only for that person.In a joint advisory issued the same day, the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) and Cyber Security Agency (CSA) said NRIC numbers are issued to uniquely identify a person and must be assumed to have been disclosed to at least a few other persons.Noting that organisations are responsible for deciding whether and how to authenticate their users, CSA said passwords are one such method of authenticating a person.Passwords that cannot be easily guessed should hence be used, it said, noting that passwords containing easily obtained information including names, NRIC numbers or birthdates do not make strong passwords. Read more