Elections Department's operations, data unaffected after ransomware attack on printing vendor

SINGAPORE: The Elections Department (ELD) on Tuesday (Apr 8) said its operations and data were not affected by a recent cybersecurity incident involving its printing vendor. 

A ransomware attack on Toppan Next Tech (TNT) became public knowledge on Monday, after the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) confirmed the extraction of customer information from DBS and Bank of China, Singapore. Both banks had used TNT as a printing vendor. 

“The Elections Department is aware of a cybersecurity incident involving Toppan Next Tech. TNT has been engaged by ELD to print poll cards and ballot papers, among other printing services for the 2025 General Election.”

Upon report of the incident, ELD said it took immediate steps to investigate whether ELD-related operations had been compromised.

Preliminary investigations do not indicate that any of ELD’s operations or data was affected.

“Nonetheless, ELD has worked with TNT to enhance their processes for GE2025 to minimise any risks from this cybersecurity incident.

“ELD would like to assure the public that up to this point, TNT has not yet been given the voter data for GE2025,” it said. 
 
The department added that it will monitor the situation closely and work with TNT to “safeguard the integrity of GE-related operations”.

PRINTER'S ERROR

Toppan made the news in August 2023 when the ELD apologised after test prints were sent out together with correct poll cards for the presidential election. 

This resulted in nearly 10,000 voters receiving two cards each. 

Toppan had mistakenly sent out test prints of poll cards to a total of 4,803 households, which corresponds to 9,822 voters from Tanjong Pagar GRC.

Of these, 9,354 voters received two poll cards with different serial numbers, while the rest received two poll cards with identical information. ELD contacted affected voters to inform them of their correct serial numbers.

Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing subsequently said that ELD would institute new measures to prevent errors in the printing of poll cards.