SL Govt. to enact Cyber Security Act

The Sri Lankan government is planning on enacting the Cyber Security Act within the next two months in an ambitious drive to protect cyber space and citizens from emerging cyber threats, Minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Ajith P. Perera told at the launch of the Multicountry-eufunded,‘cyber Resilience for Development’ project in Colombo.

The Act will provide for the establishment of a high level security Agency for Sri Lanka and empower Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT), he said.

He said the Ministry of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology has already taken the leadership to develop the appropriate regulatory framework for securing individual and organizations in the cyber space and to strengthen the prosecution support for modern cyber offences through the introduction of relevant regulations and policies.

Speaking at the event, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris said Sri Lanka’s future economic prosperity and social well-being will increasingly depend on the openness and security of its cyber networks and the ways in which they link to networks beyond its borders.

Dauris also stressed the need to create an open, free, secure and resilient cyberspace in safeguarding democracy and furthering development.

The European Union in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology launched the Cyber Resilience for Development Project this week.

The three and a half year project with a budget of EUR 11 million will focus specifically on strengthening cyber security policy, strategy and systems, increasing Sri Lanka’s ability to respond to breaches in cyber security, and encouraging international partnerships and networks to share expertise and information required to ensure cyber resilience.

Speaking at the launch, Chargé d’affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Thorsten Bargfrede said, “By the year 2020 there will be more than 50 billion devices connected to the internet. This means that governments and individuals, public and private institutions everywhere function in a digital world and confront real cyber security threats. This requires the development of a strategic, coordinated approach to cyber security which strengthens the rule of law and protects human rights. The EU is committed to helping countries like Sri Lanka to address the challenges of cyber security and pave the way for a more robust, resilient and reliable cyber infrastructure”.

The Cyber Resilience for Development project is managed and coordinated by Northern Ireland Cooperation Overseas. It is implemented by the Estonian Information System Authority, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. (DGI)

The three and a half year project with a budget of EUR 11 million will focus specifically on strengthening cyber security policy, strategy and systems, increasing Sri Lanka’s ability to respond to breaches in cyber security