Govt apologises for Acra lapse, will speed up education on proper NRIC use

Josephine Teo assures Singaporeans the Govt is taking public's concerns seriously

- Goh Yan Han

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 (Acra) last week.

Plans to consult the private sector on the issue will also be fast-tracked.

At an almost two-hour press conference on Dec 19, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah and Acra chief executive Chia-Tern Huey Min apologised multiple times for the anxiety caused.

They also assured Singaporeans that the Government was taking the public's concerns on the matter seriously.

Asked if the move away from the use of masked NRIC numbers was a policy U-turn, Mrs Teo said the Government has been consistent in its stance on the proper way NRIC numbers should be handled.

The only thing that has changed is that the Government has decided not to use masked NRIC numbers.

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, she said.

For example, some organisations have started depending on individuals producing their full NRIC numbers as proof of who they are to grant access to privileged information or services - this makes the NRIC an authenticator, beyond simply identification.

Partial NRIC numbers are also not as secure as people think they are, as a good guess of one's full NRIC number can be generated with partial numbers, especially if the year of birth is known.

Mrs Teo said the Government was intending to address the issue and the false sense of security that has arisen through its broad move to stop using masked NRIC numbers within government functions.