The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has refuted claims of a data breach containing private information of Nigerian nationals following reports.
NIMC assured the public that their data is safe and undisclosed in a statement that was made public Yesterday and was signed by Head of Corporate Communications Kayode Adegoke.
The commission reiterated that it has not granted permission to any website or organization to sell or utilize the National identifying Number (NIN) or any other identifying information improperly, the commission stressed.
NIMC has detected a number of websites as unapproved data harvesters, including verify.ng, championtech.com.ng, idfinder.com.ng, trustyonline.com, and anyverify.com. For allegedly engaging in dishonest data harvesting practices, the panel specifically criticized these websites.
Regarding the website expressverify, there were reports on March 16 that it was making money off of the retrieval of NINs and personal data from the Nigerian identification database.
The website purportedly offered unfettered access to NINs and private information of Nigerians listed in the NIMC-managed national identity database.
Expressverify’s data protection rules were broken, which led to this incident and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission scrutinizing NIMC licensees more closely.
Due to the possibility that these platforms are participating in unlawful data collecting, NIMC has advised the public to stay away from these websites and not give any personal information.
The commission reaffirms in its statement its dedication to safeguarding Nigerians’ private information and preserving the accuracy of the national identification database.
“The commission has taken robust measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats.
“Our secure, world-class, full-proof database is in place, meeting the stringent ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law,” said Adegoke
Because there are serious risks of data harvesting and compromise, Nigerians were cautioned by NIMC to exercise caution and refrain from giving their personal information with unapproved or phishing websites.
In compliance with federal government directions and data privacy rules, the commission reaffirmed its commitment to upholding ethical standards in data protection.
It further stated that licensed partners and vendors are only allowed to validate NINs through authorized channels; they are not allowed to scan or keep NIN slips.
The commission declared that it will be working with security services to continue finding people who are impersonating internet sellers and prosecuting them.
The public was advised by NIMC to be on the lookout for false information and to trust reputable sources for up-to-date information.
“NIMC remains committed to delivering secure and reliable identity management services and ensuring the highest level of security for its systems and databases, which are deemed critical national assets,” it added.
