ELD assures voter data not compromised in cybersecurity incident involving printing vendor

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Elections Department (ELD) clarified that voter data has not been affected in the cybersecurity incident involving the printing vendor it contracted to print voter cards and ballots.

A joint statement issued by the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore (CSA) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Monday (April 7) evening revealed that Toppan Next Tech (TNT) was the victim of a ransomware attack. The attack led to the leakage of customer information from two banks: DBS and Bank of China.

The ELD has since revealed that it immediately launched an investigation to confirm whether any of its operations or data were leaked in the TNT attack and found that there has been no breach. The ELD added that it is working with TNT to strengthen operating procedures ahead of the 2025 general election to minimise the risks posed by the ransomware attack.

The ELD also clarified that TNT had not received any voter data related to the impending election.

MAS and CSA said earlier this week that the attack resulted in customer information of DBS and Bank of China, Singapore, being stolen but customer login information was not compromised.

Data of about 8,200 DBS  customers may have been leaked, including the customer’s first and last name, postal address, and details of stocks held by DBS Vickers and Cashline loans.

DBS, which was informed of the incident on Saturday, assured that customers’ deposits and funds remain safe and there is no evidence so far that the incident has resulted in any unauthorised transactions at the bank. The bank added that it has contracted TNT to print customer statements and correspondence and had sent encrypted files.

MAS assured that it is working closely with the affected banks to mitigate risks and follow up with affected customers.