[Immediate Action Required] Change to SSH Access Method for ASPIRE 2A and ASPIRE 2A+ System

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Dear Users,

Following a recent security compromise incident, we are implementing additional safeguards to protect our systems and data.

 

Effective immediately, SSH key-based login to the systems will be disabled for all users.

Moving forward, only password-based authentication will be permitted for SSH access.

Impact for this Change

  • You will no longer be able to log in using SSH keys.
  • Please ensure that your account has a strong, secure password set.
  • If you currently rely on SSH keys for automated processes or scripts, kindly update them to use password authentication or contact us for alternative secure solutions.

ACTION REQUIRED

  1. Verify your password is active and complies with security standards.
  2. Update any affected workflows or scripts as soon as possible.
  3. Please follow the instructions below based on your organization’s enrollment:

 

  • Singapore Access Federation (SGAF) Users:
    Log in to the web portal at user.nscc.sg to update your account password.
  • All Other Users:
    Log in directly to your designated login node via your terminal or SSH client to perform your password change.

 

Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Completed] Emergency Kernel Patching for ASPIRE 2A+ System from 11 Jun, 3.30PM to 12 Jun, 12PM​

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Dear ASPIRE 2A+ users,

Please be informed that the emergency kernel patching on ASPIRE 2A+ has been completed. You may access the system as per usual.

 

Important Note – OpenMPI

Users may encounter runtime errors when executing binaries, whether third-party or user-compiled, if they are launched using the system default OpenMPI.

Affected users are advised to use the OpenMPI version in the environment modules instead by running the following command:
module load ucx/1.17.0-mt-gcc11-cuda12.6 openmpi/5.0.5-gcc11-cuda12.6

 

Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Extended to 9PM] Emergency Kernel Patching for ASPIRE 2A+ System From 11 Jun, 3.30PM to 12 Jun, 12PM​

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Dear ASPIRE 2A+ users,

Please be informed that the emergency kernel patching on ASPIRE 2A+ will be extended to 12 June 2026, 9.00 PM.

Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Extended to 6PM] Emergency Kernel Patching for ASPIRE 2A+ System From 11 Jun, 3.30PM to 12 Jun, 12PM​

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Dear ASPIRE 2A+ users,

Please be informed that the emergency kernel patching on ASPIRE 2A+ will be extended to 12 June 2026, 6.00 PM.

Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

Emergency Kernel Patching for ASPIRE 2A+ System from 11 Jun, 3.30PM to 12 Jun, 12PM​

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Dear ASPIRE 2A+ users,

We wish to inform you that an emergency kernel patching is currently being carried out on ASPIRE 2A+.

Maintenance Details:
  • Start: 11 June 2026 (Thursday), 3.30PM
  • End: 12 June 2026 (Friday), 12.00PM
Impact During the Maintenance Period:
  • Users will not be able to access the ASPIRE 2A+ systems during the maintenance period.

Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Completed] ASPIRE 2A Scheduled System Maintenance From 3 Jun 2026, 9am to 8 Jun 2026, 4pm​

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Dear ASPIRE 2A users,

 

We are pleased to announce that the scheduled system maintenance for ASPIRE 2A has been completed. You may proceed to use the systems as per usual.

ACTION REQUIRED

A. Reset Password and SSH Keys

Following our recent system recovery, all users are required to update their login credentials and reset their SSH keys to ensure environment security.
Please follow the instructions below based on your organization’s enrollment:
1. Singapore Access Federation (SGAF) Users:
  • Log in to the web portal at user.nscc.sg to update your account password and upload your new SSH public key.
2. All Other Users:
  • Log in directly to your designated login node via your terminal or SSH client to perform your password change and update your SSH key.
Security Note:
Once your new SSH public key is successfully uploaded and verified, please ensure you delete your old SSH key from the system.

 

B. VPN Certificate Verification

For VPN users, please be informed that the VPN security certificate for vpn1.nscc.sg has been renewed.
As a result, some users may see a Check Point Endpoint Security warning indicating that the site certificate fingerprint has changed. This is expected due to the certificate renewal.
Please verify that the VPN site is shown as vpn1.nscc.sg. If the site name is correct, click “Trust and Continue” to proceed with the VPN connection.
Do not proceed if the VPN site name appears unfamiliar or different.

Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Extension] ASPIRE 2A Scheduled System Maintenance From 3 Jun 2026, 9am to 8 Jun 2026, 4pm

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Dear ASPIRE 2A users,

Please be advised that the release of the ASPIRE 2A system following its scheduled maintenance is being extended.

During our final checks, a Slingshot fabric issue was identified that impacts storage stability. Because system stability is critical to ensuring a safe and secure service restoration, the ASPIRE 2A release is being held until this matter is fully resolved and validated.

Our team is actively working on the resolution, and we will provide a further update as soon as a new release time is confirmed.

Thank you for your patience as we ensure the system meets all operational standards.
Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Completed] Early Completion of ASPIRE 2A+ Scheduled System Maintenance From 3 Jun 2026, 9am to 8 Jun 2026, 4pm​

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Dear ASPIRE 2A+ users,

 

We are pleased to announce that the scheduled system maintenance for ASPIRE 2A+ has been completed. You may proceed to use the systems as per usual.

ACTION REQUIRED
For VPN users, please be informed that the VPN security certificate for vpn1.nscc.sg has been renewed.
As a result, some users may see a Check Point Endpoint Security warning indicating that the site certificate fingerprint has changed. This is expected due to the certificate renewal.
Please verify that the VPN site is shown as vpn1.nscc.sg. If the site name is correct, click “Trust and Continue” to proceed with the VPN connection.
Do not proceed if the VPN site name appears unfamiliar or different.

Please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Status Update 5] System Security Review for ASPIRE 2A

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Dear ASPIRE 2A users,

 

This is to provide a further update on the ongoing system-wide security review and recovery activities for ASPIRE 2A.

 

Current Status:

  1. User home directory scanning is currently underway, and the team is taking steps to expedite the process.
  2. The system release criteria have been established, and remediation actions are now underway to meet these requirements and secure ASPIRE 2A prior to service restoration.
  3. Our cybersecurity partners are still continuing their intensive reviews and checks across the systems, including review of the system scan results.
  4. ASPIRE 2A will remain unavailable until 8 June to allow the completion of recovery validation, planned upgrades, security updates, and required system changes.

 

The next update will be provided on 8 June at 5:00pm.

 

We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this period.

Should you have any questions or require assistance, please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected]. This will ensure that your request is properly recorded, tracked, and responded to. Queries sent through other channels may not be captured or addressed.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team

[Status Update 4] System Security Review for ASPIRE 2A

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Dear ASPIRE 2A users,

 

This is to provide a further update on the ongoing system-wide security review and recovery activities for ASPIRE 2A.

 

Current Status:

  1. System recovery operations are being executed concurrently with the scheduled June 2026 MOS maintenance, by integrating software updates and vulnerability patching.
  2. Ongoing scanning of user home directories for potential malware remnants or anomalous artifacts.
  3. Our cybersecurity partners are still continuing their intensive reviews and checks across the systems, including review of the system scan results.
  4. ASPIRE 2A will remain unavailable until 8 June to allow the completion of recovery validation, planned upgrades, security updates, and required system changes.

 

The next update will be provided on 5 June at 5:00pm.

 

We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this period.

Should you have any questions or require assistance, please contact our Helpdesk via the Service Desk Portal or email us at [email protected]. This will ensure that your request is properly recorded, tracked, and responded to. Queries sent through other channels may not be captured or addressed.

 

Thank you.

Warm regards,
The NSCC Team