CorpPass the new Corporate Digital Identity
SingPass is a unique login identity that many Singaporeans use to access government digital services.
Obviously, it is entirely personal and not meant to be shared with anyone. However, sometimes situations arise where sharing such sensitive information seems unavoidable — or commonly done in a pinch.
“We have received some feedback that sometimes, when conducting businesses, employees have to share their own personal SingPass with colleagues, or it could be business owners having to divulge their SingPass for their employees to do certain transactions,” explained Mr Kwok Quek Sin, Director, Government Digital Services at IDA, during a recent press briefing.
Enter the new Corporate Digital Identity for businesses.
On September 15, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) will launch Corporate Access (CorpPass), with the aim of raising the security of businesses transacting with government agencies online, said Mr Kwok.
CorpPass will be a one-stop government digital services portal for businesses and other entities, such as non-profit organisations and associations.
“CorpPass marks the first time that the government is rolling out a single corporate digital identity. This creates opportunities for even more services and transactions to be provided online securely,” noted Mr Chan Chew Hoe, Assistant Chief Executive of IDA.
Having separate login IDs for corporate and personal matters will better protect the vital information of both businesses and employees, he added.
Safety, Convenience, Visibility
Besides the apparent privacy concerns, businesses also have to contend with using separate authorisation systems for different agencies.
For example, besides SingPass, businesses also conduct transactions through the E-Services Authorisation System (EASY), an authorisation system used by some agencies such as the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
A single login for all government digital services will increase convenience for business owners and employees alike, according to Mr Kwok.
In addition, business owners may sometimes find themselves unaware of which of their employees have access to which digital services on behalf of the company.
CorpPass provides owners with visibility of access granted to employees, and when one of them leaves the company, the appointed administrator may simply login and remove access from that ex-employee.
It will be progressively rolled out from September 2016 through to December 2017. All Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority-registered entities will require a CorpPass by the end of this period.
So will Unique Entity Number (UEN)-registered entities, with the UEN essentially functioning much like an NRIC does for Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
However, as Mr Kwok pointed out, there are exceptions to who needs a CorpPass. Entities operating under individual names and without a UEN—tutors, taxi drivers and hawkers, for example—may continue using their SingPass.
And by the end of next year, businesses can expect to enjoy convenient access to 200 digital services managed by about 60 agencies.
To ease the transition period, co-existence with the SingPass login will remain until the end of the rollout, as by then EASY is slated to be phased out, he said.
https://www.tech.gov.sg/media/technews/corppass-the-new-corporate-digital-identity