Cabinet nod to formulate cybersecurity legislation in two separate bills

The Cabinet of Ministers this week gave its approval to formulate new cybersecurity legislation in two separate bills including a ‘Defence Cyber Commands’ bill and a separate bill covering general cybersecurity laws including provisions to establish the proposed Sri Lanka Cyber Protection Agency.

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved a proposal presented by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his capacity as Minister of Defence and Minister of Technology to draft the two bills.

According to Co-cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Mass Media Dullas Alahapperuma, the two bills aim to tackle criminal and terrorism related cyber activities.

Under the proposed laws, it is expected to formulate required legal provisions to establish Sri Lanka Cyber Protection Agency, which would be responsible in preparing and safeguarding the country from potential cyber-related threats, developing standards and benchmarks as well as providing policy support to sustain a high level of cybersecurity with latest global developments.

“Requirement for the formulation of new laws is with the intention of creating a regulatory framework for implementing national information apart from those applicable to national defense and cyber protection strategy, formulation of provisions to establish Sri Lanka Cyber Protection Agency to act with other cooperating agencies for the fulfillment of the purpose, introduction of legal provisions required for protecting infrastructure facilities related to decisive and essential information within the country, prevention of risk activities that affect the cyber security as well as creating a formal cyber protected environment within the country,” the Government Information Department elaborated.

It was noted that the decision to formulate a separate draft bill for the defense sector was arrived following the discussions with the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Technology and other related parties.

As electronic communication across cyber space has been recognised as a crucial factor that can directly affect national security, the government stressed that it has become essential to formulate new laws empowering cyber protection units which are established at institutional level at present by the three armed forces, Police and other agencies to act appropriately.

Earlier, the previous regime drafted a Cybersecurity bill in 2019, though it didn’t reach parliament.