By Damilare Adeleye
The National Identity Management Commission has dismissed allegations making the round that its data had been data breached by some unscrupulous elements.
Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, in a statement issued on Saturday, said citizens’ data are saved and secured.
It was recalled that reports made round alleging that some websites offered to sell, data of Nigerians.
The NIMC emphasized that certain websites purportedly selling Nigerian data are unauthorized and potentially fraudulent.
It also cautioned citizens to avoid sharing their personal information with these sites, warning that any data provided may be harvested and compromised by malicious actors.
“The Commission, at this moment, assures the public that the data of Nigerians have not been compromised and the Commission has not authorized any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report.
“The following websites: idfinder.com.ng; Verify. Ng/sign in, championtech.com.ng. trustyonline.com and anyverify.com are data harvesters not authorized 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.
“Consequently, the public should know that the Commission has taken robust measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats- a secure, world-class, full-proof database is in place. The commission’s infrastructure meets the stringent ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law.
“Furthermore, NIMC advises Nigerians to avoid giving their data to unauthorized and phishing sites. This poses the danger of data harvesting and comprises individual data.
“The Commission reaffirms its commitment to upholding ethical standards in data protection in line with federal government directives and data privacy regulations.
Moreover, licensed partners or vendors are not authorized 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 urges the public to remain vigilant against false information and rely on verified sources for accurate updates. 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,” the statement reads.