The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has refuted reports suggesting a breach in its servers, affirming that its systems are optimized to the highest international security standards. In a statement released on Monday, Kayode Adegoke, the Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, assured Nigerians of the safety and security of their data, reiterating the commission’s commitment as the custodian of Nigeria’s most crucial national database.
Addressing concerns raised in recent reports, Adegoke quoted the Director-General of NIMC, Engr Aliyu Aziz, who emphasized the commission’s proactive measures to safeguard the nation’s identity database amidst global cyber threats. Aziz underscored NIMC’s dedication to maintaining a robust and credible system over the years, ensuring the security and integrity of Nigeria’s identity data.
The reassurance follows claims made by a hacker identified as Sam, who alleged to have discovered a vulnerability in the NIMC server, purportedly accessing personal information of millions of Nigerians. Sam claimed to have stumbled upon this information while analyzing applications he was working on, subsequently posting defaced copies of national identity slips obtained from the server.
Contrary to these claims, Aziz emphasized that NIMC’s infrastructure adheres to the ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard and undergoes annual revalidation. He emphasized the critical importance of securing the identity data collected and maintained by NIMC, reassuring the public of the commission’s commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards in data security.
Aziz clarified that NIMC does not utilize or store information on public cloud platforms like AWS, despite the availability of the NIMC mobile app for accessing National Identification Numbers (NIN). He reiterated that the NIMC mobile ID application does not contain a database and does not store information in flat files.
Highlighting the distinction between possessing a NIN slip and accessing the National Identity Database, Aziz emphasized the importance of adhering to data protection regulations. He lauded the efforts of various government agencies in aligning their services with the mandatory use of NIN for identification purposes.
In conclusion, Aziz extended New Year greetings to all Nigerians and urged stakeholders to enroll and receive their NINs, reinforcing the importance of identity verification and compliance with government services.
NIMC’s statement underscores its commitment to data protection and privacy regulations, reassuring Nigerians of the security measures in place to safeguard their personal information.
