SINGAPORE - The majority of SingPass users, more than 2.3 million people, have set up their SingPass 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), said the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) on Friday (Dec 9).

SingPass 2FA was made mandatory in July, but users who logged in after July were given a grace period of 30 days to set it up.

"To minimise disruption to regular users who need to transact with government agencies urgently, users who have not set up their 2FA are given a one-time grace period of 30 days, upon their first login to SingPass since July, to do so," said GovTech.

The extended period for the 2FA setup will end on Jan 15, and users will have to complete the setup before they can use their SingPass for transactions.

The sign up will take up to seven working days for local users and 10 for overseas users.

"Users need to complete their SingPass 2FA setup in order to file taxes from 2017 onwards, and access over 100 government digital services involving sensitive data," the statement said.

"Having a majority of SingPass users on-board 2FA is a significant step towards improving personal online security and creating a safer cyberspace. For users who have not set up their SingPass 2FA, we strongly encourage them to do so to better protect their personal data," said Mr Chan Cheow Hoe, government chief information officer.

Users who have not set up 2FA should log in to their SingPass account and click "Set Up 2-Step Verification".

A PIN mailer will be sent to their registered address with instructions on how to activate 2FA for their account.

For more information, users can refer to the 2FA FAQs and video guides. They can email helpdesk@assurity.sg for help.