The SingPass Mobile app is meant to offer a convenient log-in option, as users no longer need to enter their passwords to log in. The current password system is open to security risks and abuse when people set easy-to-guess passwords or share them freely with friends. But when users set difficult passwords, they forget them and often ask for their passwords to be reset.
GovTech said it receives 150,000 requests from SingPass users to reset their passwords every month. If the set-up is successful, users will be prompted to create a permanent six-digit PIN, which they need to remember. The PIN will be required if fingerprint or facial scanning fails.
Moreover, the app locks itself down when it detects the presence of malicious software on the mobile device. Some 1,500 SingPass accounts were hacked in 2014, which uses citizens’ national identity numbers to login.
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