Saturday Aug 23, 2025
Saturday Aug 23, 2025
Wednesday, 20 August 2025 11:59 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
The Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved a directive requiring Secretaries of relevant Ministries and institutional heads to continuously obtain professional services from the National Cyber Protection Operations Centre by directly connecting their systems with the facility.
The move comes following raised concern over the growing risk of cyber-attacks targeting public institutions and financial entities, warning that such incidents could obstruct essential services and compromise national security.
Announcing the decision at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing on yesterday, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that it has been cautioned that successful attacks could result in the theft of private and sensitive data, endanger personal and community security, undermine economic stability, disrupt public health services, erode good governance, and weaken public trust in State institutions.
To mitigate these risks, the Government has established the National Cyber Protection Operations Center under the guidance of the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Forum (SLCERT) and the Digital Economy Ministry.
Dr. Jayatissa said the centre operates round the clock to monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats. It also provides facilities for reporting malicious software and unauthorised access attempts.
He noted that the measure is aimed at strengthening national resilience against cyber threats, ensuring uninterrupted delivery of critical public services, and safeguarding the integrity of Sri Lanka’s digital infrastructure.
The proposal to this effect submitted by President Anura Kumara Disanayake in his capacity as the Digital Economy Minister.
