The Ministry of Digital Economy has decided to fast-track the integration of 25 key state institutions with the National Cyber Security Operations Centre (NCSOC), Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said on Friday.
Cabinet has previously approved the connection of 37 institutions to the NCSOC, which was established last year, but only 12 have been linked to date. A further four are in the process of joining, the Deputy Minister said, with the remaining 25 now slated for accelerated integration.
Weeraratne said advanced artificial-intelligence-based software has been introduced to help the centre detect potential cyberattacks in advance. The NCSOC monitors major government digital systems on a 24-hour basis.
The fast-track decision follows two government cyber incidents in one week. On April 22, the Treasury disclosed it had lost USD 2.5 million from a foreign debt instalment after fraudulent emails impersonating the Australian Export Finance Agency diverted the funds. On April 24, the Public Administration Ministry’s website was hit in a separate breach now under SLCERT investigation.
The Deputy Minister linked the staff dimension of the threat directly to the Treasury incident, saying employees at integrated institutions must be properly trained in secure use of digital systems and required to verify the authenticity of financial transactions before acting on them.
Sources: NewsFirst; Ada Derana.
