I called SkillsFuture Singapore for assistance on a problem I had with my SkillsFuture account, and was asked to give my full name and full NRIC number for the operator to verify my identity.

I am surprised that callers are still required to give full NRIC numbers for verification purposes or to facilitate checking of records, especially when the calls are being recorded.

Data breaches are not unusual nowadays. Recent cases have shown that no organisation, public or private, is immune to cyber attacks.

It is therefore disturbing that call recordings that contain names and NRIC numbers are being kept.

Organisations need to move away from asking for full NRIC numbers over the phone, and find other ways to verify a caller's identity.

Cecilia Nathen