Following the accidental disclosure of NRIC numbers on a business portal, Singaporean authorities are accelerating public education on proper NRIC use. The government announced it will no longer mask NRIC numbers, emphasizing their role as unique identifiers rather than authenticators. This move aims to protect individuals from vulnerabilities associated with using full NRIC numbers for authentication purposes.
Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and Acra chief executive Chia-Tern Huey Min at a press conference on Dec 19.Efforts to educate the public on the proper use of NRIC numbers will be accelerated, amid uncertainty and anxiety after the disclosure of the identification numbers on the business portal of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority last week.
This move is meant to protect Singaporeans from the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the incorrect practice of using the number as an authenticator, rather than a unique identifier, said Mrs Teo. In her opening remarks, she said: “I would firstly like to acknowledge the concerns of the public, which we take very seriously. We are very sorry to have caused them much anxiety.
The Ministry of Digital Development and Information’s response on Dec 13 revealed the move as a coordination mishap – Acra had run ahead of the Government’s intent to phase out the use of masked NRIC numbers. The search function in question was disabled on Dec 13 night, and a new version will be launched next week with search results that do not show any NRIC numbers.
The Government had intended for this move away from the use of masked NRIC numbers to first be a within-government effort, such as in cross-agency functions, said Mrs Teo. They were also told to discontinue the use of masked NRIC numbers, starting with new services first, then followed by existing services as each service is updated, said Mrs Teo.These include the risks currently faced with NRIC numbers being used improperly, as well as how Singaporeans can better protect themselves and organisations can change their incorrect practices.
“We had thought that we could stage it out properly, but clearly, given people’s anxiety, we’ve got to compress the timeline and do it much earlier,” she said.
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