Fingerprint, facial ID for SingPass authentication
New app uses biometric scanning to make systems safer; teething problems at launch
By Irene Tham, Senior Tech Correspondent, The Straits Times, 23 Oct 2018
Singaporeans can now access e-government services simply by scanning their fingerprints or faces on smartphones, doing away with the need to memorise passwords.
The much-anticipated SingPass Mobile app, which comes with the latest biometric features, was launched yesterday, marking a milestone in Singapore's Smart Nation journey. It ran into immediate teething problems, with some users unable to log in, encountering an error message instead.
The Government Technology Agency (GovTech), which developed the app, then posted a notice on its Facebook page asking affected users to e-mail its helpdesk with details of their phone, to help troubleshoot the problem.
Glitches aside, observers said biometric scanning is a more secure mechanism than passwords, which can be cracked easily when people set those that are easy to guess or share them freely with friends.
Users also tend to forget their passwords. "Every month, we receive about 150,000 requests from SingPass users to reset their passwords," said Mr Kok Ping Soon, chief executive of GovTech. There are 3.3 million SingPass users here.
"The new SingPass Mobile app will offer a more convenient log-in option, as users no longer need to enter their passwords to log in," Mr Kok added.
The app will also benefit overseas Singaporeans, some of whom have had issues using the OneKey token.
The existing method of logging into e-government services using a SingPass username, password and one-time passwords delivered via SMS or generated by the OneKey token will continue to be offered as an option.
Meanwhile, SingPass Mobile is seen as a key component of Singapore's national digital identity framework, which seeks to secure not just e-government transactions, but also those in the private sector.
New uses include the secure digital signing of all sorts of confidential business and legal documents.
New app uses biometric scanning to make systems safer; teething problems at launch
By Irene Tham, Senior Tech Correspondent, The Straits Times, 23 Oct 2018
Singaporeans can now access e-government services simply by scanning their fingerprints or faces on smartphones, doing away with the need to memorise passwords.
The much-anticipated SingPass Mobile app, which comes with the latest biometric features, was launched yesterday, marking a milestone in Singapore's Smart Nation journey. It ran into immediate teething problems, with some users unable to log in, encountering an error message instead.
The Government Technology Agency (GovTech), which developed the app, then posted a notice on its Facebook page asking affected users to e-mail its helpdesk with details of their phone, to help troubleshoot the problem.
Glitches aside, observers said biometric scanning is a more secure mechanism than passwords, which can be cracked easily when people set those that are easy to guess or share them freely with friends.
Users also tend to forget their passwords. "Every month, we receive about 150,000 requests from SingPass users to reset their passwords," said Mr Kok Ping Soon, chief executive of GovTech. There are 3.3 million SingPass users here.
"The new SingPass Mobile app will offer a more convenient log-in option, as users no longer need to enter their passwords to log in," Mr Kok added.
The app will also benefit overseas Singaporeans, some of whom have had issues using the OneKey token.
The existing method of logging into e-government services using a SingPass username, password and one-time passwords delivered via SMS or generated by the OneKey token will continue to be offered as an option.
Meanwhile, SingPass Mobile is seen as a key component of Singapore's national digital identity framework, which seeks to secure not just e-government transactions, but also those in the private sector.
New uses include the secure digital signing of all sorts of confidential business and legal documents.
A QR code will also be built into SingPass Mobile, carrying one's name and identity card number, among other identification data, so that users need not carry their NRIC.
They will just need to scan the QR code when going to hospitals for their appointments or entering secured buildings.
GovTech subsidiary Assurity Trusted Solutions is administering the framework.
GovTech subsidiary Assurity Trusted Solutions is administering the framework.
According to evidence that emerged during the recent public hearing by the Committee of Inquiry looking into the SingHealth attack, hackers got a foot in the door via phishing, where users unknowingly give away confidential data.
Credentials stolen in phishing attacks will be useless when authentication is done via only biometrics.
As an added security function, the SingPass Mobile app locks itself down when it detects malicious software on the mobile device.
As an added security function, the SingPass Mobile app locks itself down when it detects malicious software on the mobile device.
Singapore on the right track in exploration of digital IDs
But bumps on the way, such as those that hit SingPass Mobile, must be navigated quickly
By Irene Tham, Senior Tech Correspondent, The Straits Times, 23 Oct 2018
SingPass Mobile is the most-anticipated Smart Nation app for Singaporeans.
Its benefits will be immediate: Residents will no longer need to create complex passwords, memorise them and carry the OneKey security token when accessing their Central Provident Fund accounts, filing tax returns or paying parking fines.
With the app, users just need to scan their fingerprints and faces to securely access hundreds of e-government services - after a one-time registration.
Also, the app's inherent biometric features solve the problem of stubborn users creating easy-to-guess passwords and compromising their security, or ignorant users sharing passwords freely with friends or, worse still, with scammers.
Unfortunately, yesterday's launch of the app was somewhat marred by teething problems.
For almost the whole day, there were intermittent breakdowns, with users encountering an error message when trying to set up their accounts.
Mr Mike Ang, president of the Association of Telecommunications Industry of Singapore, said that SingPass Mobile has great promise with the use of biometrics.
"But its developers must iron out the glitches and work on ensuring the system is ready for prime time," he said.
SingPass Mobile needs to get its act together quickly.
It must be able to accommodate the current base of 3.3 million SingPass users without fuss or glitches.
Given the advantages of SingPass Mobile, people will sign up.
Sales manager Faith Heng, 39, could not register with the app yesterday, but she sees the immediate benefits.
"Users are caught in a bind: Difficult passwords are easy to forget, but easy ones can be hacked," she said.
The app can resolve this.
SingPass Mobile is a key component of the National Digital Identity (NDI) framework that aims to include even the private sector.
The initiatives will include the secure digital signing of confidential business and legal documents - a benefit Estonian citizens and businesses have been enjoying for years with the country's digital ID initiative.
A QR code will also be built into SingPass Mobile, carrying one's name and identity card number, so users need not carry their NRIC - possibly a first in the world.
SingPass Mobile has ambitious targets to meet, but first, it needs to be robust.
The robustness of Singapore's NDI was discussed in Parliament in March, following February's six-hour outage of SingPass.
Because the NDI, SingPass Mobile and SingPass are linked, any bugs in one system will affect the others.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative in the Prime Minister's Office, assured the House then that the Government imposes strict requirements for its critical systems.
Digital signing has been the way of life for some 1.3 million people in Estonia over the past 16 years.
It is a future that Singapore looks forward to having.
Although Singapore is only beginning to explore the digital identity space, it is on the right track. There may be bumps along the way, but they need to be navigated quickly.
RelatedBut bumps on the way, such as those that hit SingPass Mobile, must be navigated quickly
By Irene Tham, Senior Tech Correspondent, The Straits Times, 23 Oct 2018
Its benefits will be immediate: Residents will no longer need to create complex passwords, memorise them and carry the OneKey security token when accessing their Central Provident Fund accounts, filing tax returns or paying parking fines.
With the app, users just need to scan their fingerprints and faces to securely access hundreds of e-government services - after a one-time registration.
Also, the app's inherent biometric features solve the problem of stubborn users creating easy-to-guess passwords and compromising their security, or ignorant users sharing passwords freely with friends or, worse still, with scammers.
Unfortunately, yesterday's launch of the app was somewhat marred by teething problems.
For almost the whole day, there were intermittent breakdowns, with users encountering an error message when trying to set up their accounts.
Mr Mike Ang, president of the Association of Telecommunications Industry of Singapore, said that SingPass Mobile has great promise with the use of biometrics.
"But its developers must iron out the glitches and work on ensuring the system is ready for prime time," he said.
SingPass Mobile needs to get its act together quickly.
It must be able to accommodate the current base of 3.3 million SingPass users without fuss or glitches.
Given the advantages of SingPass Mobile, people will sign up.
Sales manager Faith Heng, 39, could not register with the app yesterday, but she sees the immediate benefits.
"Users are caught in a bind: Difficult passwords are easy to forget, but easy ones can be hacked," she said.
The app can resolve this.
SingPass Mobile is a key component of the National Digital Identity (NDI) framework that aims to include even the private sector.
The initiatives will include the secure digital signing of confidential business and legal documents - a benefit Estonian citizens and businesses have been enjoying for years with the country's digital ID initiative.
A QR code will also be built into SingPass Mobile, carrying one's name and identity card number, so users need not carry their NRIC - possibly a first in the world.
SingPass Mobile has ambitious targets to meet, but first, it needs to be robust.
The robustness of Singapore's NDI was discussed in Parliament in March, following February's six-hour outage of SingPass.
Because the NDI, SingPass Mobile and SingPass are linked, any bugs in one system will affect the others.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative in the Prime Minister's Office, assured the House then that the Government imposes strict requirements for its critical systems.
Digital signing has been the way of life for some 1.3 million people in Estonia over the past 16 years.
It is a future that Singapore looks forward to having.
Although Singapore is only beginning to explore the digital identity space, it is on the right track. There may be bumps along the way, but they need to be navigated quickly.
Easier and more secure logins with the new SingPass Mobile app -22 Oct 2018
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