NIMC speaks on breach of it’s database

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has refuted reports suggesting a breach of its database, describing them as inaccurate and misleading.

According to a statement released on Saturday in Abuja by Mr. Kayode Adegoke, the Head of Corporate Communications for the commission.

He clarified that the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, as claimed, and that the commission has not permitted any website or entity to use or share the NIN or other sensitive citizen data without authorization.

“The following websites: idfinder.com.ng; Verify. Ng/sign in, championtech.com.ng, trustyonline.com, and anyverify.com are data harvesters not authorised by NIMC to access or manage sensitive data.

“NIMC urges the public to disregard any claims or services these websites offer and should not give their data as they are potentially fraudulent and data provided by the public on such websites are gathered and stored to build the data services they illegally provide,” Adegoke said.

He said that commission had adopted proactive measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats, and provide a secure, world-class, full-proof database.

According to Adegoke, the commission’s infrastructure meets the stringent ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standards, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law.

While advising Nigerians against giving their data to unauthorised and phishing sites, Adegoke reiterated commitment of the commission to uphold ethical standards in data protection in line with Federal Government’s directives and data privacy regulations.

He also emphasized that licensed partners and vendors are only allowed to verify NINs through approved channels, and do not have the authority to scan or store the NIN without explicit permission.

He revealed that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is collaborating with security agencies to identify and prosecute the individuals involved in the alleged data breach.

As a result, he advised Nigerians to be cautious of misinformation and to verify information through trusted sources to ensure accuracy.

“The Commission remains committed to providing secure and reliable identity management and upholding the highest level of security for systems and databases, which are critical national assets”.