The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has debunked the exposure of sensitive data of Nigerian citizens as it concerns the Commission amongst many other data-collecting agencies, as alleged and reported in some quarters.
In a press statement issued in Abuja and signed by its Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Kayode Adegoke, the Commission assured that the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, adding that it has not authorised any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report.
The Commission said 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. It therefore 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.
The Commission said it has taken robust measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats- a secure, world-class, full-proof database is in place, assuring that its infrastructure meets the stringent ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law.
The Commission advised Nigerians to avoid giving their data to unauthorised and phishing sites, because this poses the danger of data harvesting and comprises individual data, and reaffirmed its commitment to upholding ethical standards in data protection in line with federal government directives and data privacy regulations. According to the Commission, its licensed partners or vendors are not authorised to scan or store NIN slips but to verify NINs through approved channels.
“The Commission is currently working closely with security operatives to apprehend these elements masquerading as online vendors, and they will be made to face the full wrath of the law”, NIMC stated. It urged the public to remain vigilant against false information and rely on verified sources for accurate updates, assuring that it 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.