SINGAPORE: A former OCBC Bank assistant vice president was imprisoned for 10 weeks on Friday ( January 3 ) for accessing 396 bank customers ‘ information without permission.
One consolidated command under the Computer Misuse Act was admitted to Au Jia Hao, 39, through plea.
According to the court’s records, Au worked for OCBC’s international commercial banking sector on October 12, 2022, as an aide vice president. His responsibilities included sales help, resolving consumer problems, and evaluating portfolio quality.
Au was trained in the Silverlake Integrated Banking System’s suitable use legislation and had access to OCBC’s Silverlake Integrated Banking System. Additionally, he understood that he had a duty to protect the security of the company’s information.
Nevertheless, for more than eight months, from Nov 8, 2022, to Jul 31, 2023, he used the Silverlake program to access the information of 396 bank customers.
The information he looked up included regional lawmakers and public characters, celebrities, as well as his associates, friends and family.
He was able to see their National Registration Identity Card ( NRIC ) numbers, dates of birth, addresses, contact numbers, bank account balances, and education and employment histories.
Au alleged that she looked up the data out of excitement and anxiety from work. He made no other people aware of the consumer information.
When OCBC’s danger and protection section alerted Au’s better that his Silverlake consideration had been flagged for accessing a top bank employee’s customer profile on August 16, 2023, the crimes were discovered.
When Au was confronted by the better, he acknowledged doing this.
On September 7, 2023, OCBC abruptly terminated Au’s work and issued a police record against him later that month.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Colin Ng sought 12 to 16 weeks ‘ incarceration. He claimed that Au’s unrestricted access to the data had a significant potential for obstructing relationships and demonstrated prolonged offending.
The attorney claimed that Au had looked up political and public figures, and that the government was more interested in knowing about the customer’s information because he had looked up political and public numbers.
Mr. Ng also made note of Au’s withdrawal from OCBC on July 27, 2023, but his crimes persisted until the month’s end.
The prosecution argued that Au’s departure before examinations started against him in August 2023 was a mark of his regrets, which contradicted the defense.
Defence lawyer , Kalidass Murugaiyan asked for four weeks ‘ prison. Countering the lawyer’s discussion on potential damage, he said that there was no proof Au intended to distribute the customer information.
He claimed that Au had mental health issues and despair that appeared to be at the heart of his behavior. Additionally, he claimed Au was a first-time criminal and a six-year charity with the Singapore Red Cross.
District Judge Wong Peck referred to Au as being dishonest in his imprisonment and said it was troubling that he had accessed the knowledge of 396 customers and abused the trust he had been given as an OCBC employee.
” Unfortunately, as a bank employee, and some more, you’re an ( assistant vice president ),  , this is clearly the wrong thing to do”, she told him.
Unauthorized access to computer files is punishable by a fine of up to S$ 5, 000, or both, as well as a prison term of up to two years in prison.