Companies Registry fault exposes data of 110,000 users

The Companies Registry on Friday said the personal information of around 110,000 people had been leaked due to a fault in its digital platform. The registry said if people conduct searches on its e-Services Portal and pressed the F12 key, they might see additional personal details. Information being exposed included names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, as well as full identity and passport numbers. The body said urgent maintenance has been carried out to prevent further leaks, and that it is getting in touch with and apologising to those affected. It added that it is consulting the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer with a view to conducting a comprehensive review of the incident and taking further enhancement measures to safeguard personal data. The privacy watchdog, for its part, said it is launching a probe given the number of people affected in the incident. Earlier, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department apologised after information of around 17,000 public housing tenants required to undergo Covid tests in 2022 was exposed online.