Cyber Attacks Target Sri Lankan Government and Police Websites

Colombo, Dec 31 (NationPress) Numerous government institutions in Sri Lanka have been impacted by cyber attacks, according to a police spokesperson who spoke to local media on Tuesday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) K.B. Manathunga reported that the official YouTube channel of the Sri Lanka Police Department has been compromised.

Additionally, Manathunga mentioned that the official website of the Sri Lanka Department of Government Printing has also been breached and its data manipulated.

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) and the police are currently looking into these cyber incidents, as noted by Xinhua news agency.

Last week, SLCERT issued a warning about the susceptibility of government websites to cyber attacks and announced plans to implement educational programs for government employees on how to respond to such threats.

In a related development, Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to create investigative units within each ministry to ensure accountability in public institutions, according to a government spokesperson on Tuesday.

During a press conference in Colombo, Cabinet spokesperson and Minister of Health and Mass Media Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the government has received multiple complaints regarding irregular activities in state institutions.

To tackle these issues and improve public service, the Cabinet has resolved to conduct fair and thorough investigations into these complaints, explained Jayatissa.

The approved proposal mandates the formation of investigative units at the ministerial level, each led by a senior executive-grade government official with substantial service experience and a background in investigations, he further elaborated.

According to Jayatissa, these officials will scrutinize the operations of state institutions from previous administrations and address ongoing public complaints.