Trouble as Website Gains Access to Nigeria's NIN Database, NDPC Begins Investigations
- The Nigeria Data Protection Commission and National Identity Management Commission are investigating unauthorised access to the National Identification Number
- This was after a website gained unauthorised access to NIN's database based on a report by a Foundation for Investigative Journalism
- The investigation is expected to find out if any of the commission's tokenisation verification agents had violated the terms of their licenses
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over three years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
A report of unauthorised access to the National Identification Number (NIN) database is being looked into by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Source: UGC
This comes after XpressVerify.com was found to have gained unauthorised access to NIN's database, according to an investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism.
According to the report, every registered Nigerian's NIN and personal information was accessible to the private website without restriction, and the website made money off of the recovery of NINs and personal data.
NIMC reacts to the findings
BusinessDay reported that the NIMC clarified in a statement on Sunday that it provides NIN verification and other services through authorised partners, but XpressVerify is not one of them.
It stated that the NIMC's chief executive officer and director general, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, has mandated a thorough inquiry to find out if any of the commission's tokenisation verification agents had violated the terms of their licenses, either directly or through any of its sublicensees.
The commission said:
“Top-level security is in place to protect the NIN and other personal data of every citizen and legal resident.”
It added that it has not recorded a data breach yet.
The NDPC revealed that NIMC has consented to work with it to investigate the basis of the claim and examine the channels now available for any organisation to legally confirm the identification of participants on NIMC's platform.
It stated:
“NDPC will work with relevant agencies to audit the trails of the alleged unauthorized data processing and monetization of same, and those who are found culpable for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 will be brought to justice."
The commission further stated that the investigation's preliminary results would be released to the public in seven days.
FG sacks third-party partners from NIN registration
Legit.ng reported that Front-end partners were temporarily prohibited from enrolling NINs by the National Identity Management Commission.
Punch stated that these third-party registration centers are undergoing revalidation by the commission.
The National Identity Number enrolment and alteration procedures included violations and unwholesome practices, according to NIMC director general Abisoye Coker-Odusote and the commission.
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Source: Legit.ng
