LankaClear upgrades digital certificate infrastructure for future growth

LankaClear, the operator of LankaPay - Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network, recently held the root key ceremony of its security arm – LankaSign, the only commercially operating Certification Service Provider (CSP) in the country.

In keeping with the latest international security standards and technology ( i e Web tr u s t 2.0), LankaSign upgraded its systems and the recently concluded root key ceremony was a key activity of this exercise. LankaSign is now capable of issuing digital certificates in real time to any automated system including Android, iOS and other Smart mobile devices.

As explained by LankaClear in a media release, a root key ceremony is a procedure where a unique pair of public and private root keys are generated in a secure manner in the presence of individuals as key witnesses who represent various industries. It is a statutory requirement where the entire system architecture of a CSP is reviewed by a panel of experts to ensure its integ- rity and good governance.

The ceremony saw representation of a panel of high profile delegates including Director - Payments and Settlements of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Prof. Gihan Dias, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Moratuwa among others.

Wasantha Deshapriya, Secretary to the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, speaking at the event, underscored its significance from a holistic perspective. “With the rise of cyber security threats, economies around the world have become increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. At the same time, as we are moving towards a digital economy, we are witnessing an increase in the number of transactions taking place via electronic platforms. Therefore, in order to build public trust and confidence on electronic transactions, digital security solutions such as ‘LankaSign’ have a pivotal role to play”.

Speaking on the occasion, A n i l A m a r a s u r i ya , Chairman LankaClear stated, “As Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network, we find security to be fundamental to all our operations. The root key ceremony of LankaSign is of great significance as it gives an independent review and assurance of the robustness of our public key infrastructure, which has a substantial impact on the stability of entire banking and financial system”.

Set up in 2009 in accordance of the Electronic Transactions Act No. 19 of 2006, LankaSign plays a pivotal role in catering to the public key infrastructure requirements of the banking and financial sector in Sri Lanka.

LankaSign is now capable of issuing digital certificates in real time to any automated system including Android, iOS and other Smart mobile devices.