Three months ago, the Government upgraded the SingPass system to make it safer for residents to access online government services.
SingPass is a password system set up for all Singapore residents in 2003. Users enter a password with their NRIC numbers to access over 200 e-government services, at agencies like the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
But like other simple password schemes, SingPass is prone to security vulnerabilities when users adopt passwords that are easy to remember, like birth dates, which hackers can easily find out. Using one's NRIC number as a username is also insecure as the string of seven numbers is predictable.