FG debunks breach of Nigeria’s identity database

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said the country’s identity database was not breached by hackers.

Some social media users had reportedly said Nigeria’s identity database had been hit by cyber-attack.

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But NIMC in a statement on Tuesday said its servers were not breached but are fully optimised at the highest international security levels as the custodian of the most important national database for Nigeria.

The Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, was quoted by the statement as saying that the commission, as the custodian of the foundational identity database for Africa’s most populous nation, has gone to great lengths to ensure the nation’s database is adequately secured and protected especially given the spate of cyber-attacks on networks across the world.

“Over the years, through painstaking efforts, NIMC has built a robust and credible system for Nigeria’s identity database. The Commission and its infrastructure are certified to the ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard which are revalidated annually”, Aziz was quoted by the statement signed by NIMC’s head of corporate communications, Kayode Adegoke.

The statement said NIMC had ensured maximum security of its systems and database because of the critical nature of the identity data which the Commission collects, manages and maintains as critical assets for the country.

The Commission assured the public that it will continue to uphold the highest ethical standards in data security on behalf of the Federal Government and ensure compliance with data protection and privacy regulations.

The NIMC Director-General stated that the Commission does not use nor store information on the AWS cloud platform or any public cloud despite the usefulness of the NIMC Mobile App available to the public for accessing their NIN on the go.

The NIMC DG further stated that the NIMC MobileID application has no database within the app, nor does it store information in flat files. The Commission has made this app available to the public to reduce and eliminate any delay or challenge(s) in accessing one’s NIN.

He said: “The public should be aware that the possession of a NIN slip does not amount to access to the National Identity Database, but that the NIN slip is just a physical assertion of a person’s identity. Under the data protection regulations, no licensed partner/vendor is authorized to scan and store copies of individuals NIN slips but rather authenticate the NIN using the approved and authorized verification platforms/channels provided.

“As part of its policies to protect personally identifiable information stored in the National Identity Database, the public may recall that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy through NIMC launched the Tokenization features of the NIN verification service. This solution is to safeguard the personal data of individuals and ensure continuous user rights and privacy. ”

The commission commended the concerted efforts of several Federal Government agencies such as Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Immigration Services, Pension Commission (PenCom), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Correctional Service, the Nigeria Customs, and a host of others, who have streamlined their services in line with the use of National Identification Number (NIN) as the valid means of identification.