Seminar on “Cybersecurity, Policies and Legal Challenges in Sri Lanka”

A seminar on “Cybersecurity, Policies and Legal Challenges in Sri Lanka” was held recently at the Organisaton of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka. The event, which was organized by the National Security, Law and Order Committee of the OPA, featured Additional Solicitor General Mr. Sumathi Dharmawardena, PC, Acting CEO, Head of Research and Policy, CERT, Dr. Kanishka Karunasena and Country Director, Sri Lanka Protech-X and cybersecurity expert, Mr. Asela Waidyalankara as guest speakers

The speakers emphasized the importance of improving cybersecurity in Sri Lanka, which had been ranked 83 out of 194 countries in the Global Cybersecurity Index in 2020.  They also spoke on ensuring  the protection of fiber optic submarine cables in Sri Lanka, which was an internationally sensitive matter. The audience was advised to protect themselves from cybercrime by being careful of the apps and files that they download as they could contain malware. They were also cautioned to guard against sharing OTPs with untrustworthy sources, and giving confidential information such as account details to people pretending to be from a bank.