Union Assurance first life insurer in Sri Lanka to achieve ISO 27001:2022 certification

Friday, 13 June 2025 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

From left: Union Assurance Assistant Vice President – IT Infrastructure and Security Salmal Pathirana, Chief Information Officer Harsha Senanayake, CEO Senath Jayatilake, Bureau Veritas Country General Manager Shan Nanayakkara and Manager – Marketing and Sales Subash De Silva

Union Assurance, has achieved a landmark milestone by becoming the first Life Insurance Company to be certified under the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard, redefining information security benchmarks across the industry.

The globally-recognised certification affirms the strength and maturity of Union Assurance’s Information Security Management System (ISMS), which safeguards the organisation’s most critical assets — including customer data, business intelligence, financial information, intellectual property and third-party records.

The ISO 27001:2022 standard introduces several key updates, including enhanced control areas such as threat intelligence, secure coding, cloud service governance, data masking and ICT continuity. These modern controls are instrumental in addressing today’s cyber risks and ensuring that information security is tightly woven into day-to-day operations.

Union Assurance has strategically adopted this updated standard as part of its broader cybersecurity transformation journey. This includes alignment with global best practices such as the Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architecture (MCRA), the Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark (MCSB) and the Centre for Internet Security (CIS) IG2 framework. The company has also modernised its security infrastructure with advanced threat intelligence and a Zero Trust platform designed to protect remote work environments and corporate data from unauthorised access.

In addition, as part of its ongoing commitment to data protection and privacy, Union Assurance is also implementing the ISO 27701 Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) to further enhance its governance over personally identifiable information and prepare for evolving regulatory landscapes.

CEO Senath Jayatilake said: “This certification is a testament to our strategic focus on governance, risk and compliance in a digital-first world. As the first life insurer in the country to attain ISO 27001:2022, we are not just strengthening our internal systems; we are reinforcing the confidence our policyholders place in us every day. It reflects our unwavering commitment to trust, transparency and forward-thinking use of technology.”

“This achievement is not just about compliance. It is about transformation,” said Union Assurance Chief Information Officer Harsha Senanayake. “We are embedding cybersecurity into the fabric of our digital operations – from secure software development to cloud governance. With ISO 27001:2022, we have created a strong foundation to protect our customers’ data while enabling innovation with confidence and speed,” Jayatilake added.

Bureau Veritas Country General Manager Shan Nanayakkara said: “At Bureau Veritas, we are dedicated to supporting organisations in their journey toward robust governance, risk management and compliance. Union Assurance’s successful certification demonstrates their proactive approach to safeguarding customer data and aligning with global best practices in cybersecurity. We commend their leadership and vision in setting a new benchmark for the Life Insurance industry in Sri Lanka.”

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