Singapore data exposure affects 70,000 after IBM cloud security incident

Singapore data exposure affects 70,000 after IBM cloud security incident
A view of an operations nerve center at a Keppel data centre in Singapore, 3 July 2023
Reuters

Singapore has reported a data exposure affecting 70,000 people after unauthorised access to a dataset in an IBM-managed cloud environment, according to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). The authority said operational systems and property records remain secure.

Investigation into cloud data exposure

According to a report published by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on Friday, the data exposure occurred in an IBM-managed cloud environment.

Preliminary investigations found what the SLA described as "unauthorised access to a data set created for the sole purpose of vendor development and testing" for the Singapore Titles Automated Registration System (STARS) and the eLodgment system hosted in the IBM cloud environment.

According to the SLA, the dataset was created in 1998 as a mock, anonymised dataset. However, it should not have contained the names, National Registration Identity Card numbers, financial details and addresses of 70,000 individuals.

A view of the central business district skyline in Singapore, 27 May, 2025
Reuters

"This information should have been anonymised, but was not. Investigations are ongoing to determine how the breach occurred," the SLA said.

Live systems remain secure

The authority said the exposure did not affect its operational systems, stating: "There is no connection or compromise to the live systems used for operations of STARS, ELS, or any other SLA systems."

According to the SLA, property ownership and lodgment records remain secure and have not been affected by the data exposure.

Authorities launch investigation

The SLA has begun contacting affected individuals. Investigations by IBM, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and the Government Technology Agency are under way.

A police report has been filed, and the Personal Data Protection Commission has also been notified.

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