Nigerians data not compromised says NIMC, advises against giving data to phishing websites - ITREALMS

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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has debunked media reports on the alleged exposure of sensitive data of Nigerian citizens as it concerns the Commission amongst many other data-collecting agencies, reports ITREALMS.

A civil society organisation, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) had a few days ago alleged that some Nigerians sensitive data are up for purchase at N100 on some websites across the world wide web.

NIMC in response to inquiries by ITREALMS reiterated that the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, and the Commission have not authorised any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report.

A press statement available to ITREALMS by the Head, Corporate Communications at NIMC, Mr. Kayode Adegoke, equally listed some websites as phishing entities.

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They include “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, therefore, urged 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 unauthorised 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 authorised to scan or store NIN slips but to verify NINs through approved channels.”

The Commission, he said, 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 encouraged 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,” Adegoke said.

Chuks Egbune/Editor