Govt. to bring new laws to combat emerging cyber crimes
January 22, 2020- Legal Draftsman is finalizing the proposed Cyber Security Act
The Defence Ministry is to introduce new laws to stop publishing defamatory posts and comments on social media and also a mechanism for immediate removal of ethnically and religiously sensitive posts that spread hatred via social media networks.
The new legal framework will be introduced under the National Cyber Security Strategy, which will be formulated soon to address emerging cyber crimes issues that pose a threat to the national security.
Defence Secretary Maj.Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne has instructed the officials of Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) to finalise drafting the proposed Cyber Security Act, which will establish a comprehensive framework for the prevention and management of cyber security threats and incidents effectively, and protection of critical information infrastructure.
At the meeting held today at the BMICH, the SLCERT officials said that the draft was handed over to the Legal Draftsman for final legal clarifications.
These crimes includes cyber crimes against individuals such as credit card fraud, revenge, porn, crimes against property, crimes against hacking and intellectual property theft and cyber crimes against government and other organisations such as cyber terrorism, hacking of websites, processing of unauthorised information and hacking into sensitive financial data.
Maj.Gen. Gunaratne highlighted the importance of introducing the new mechanism to prevent spreading hate speech using popular social media networks.
SLCERT functioning under the purview of Defence Ministry is an institute that works as the national level focal point on cyber security related issues.
Under the new mechanism the Digital Infrastructure Protection Agency (DIPA) will be set up as an apex body for all cyber security related affairs in the country. The DIPA is mandated to implement the National Information and Cyber Security Strategy
SLCERT officials told the defence.lk that cybercrimes against individuals and organisations are increasing rapidly as the Sri Lanka lacks a proper legal and tracking system to bring those culprits to the book.
Information and Communication Technology Ministry Additional Secretary Waruna Dhanapala, SLCERT CEO Lal Dias, SLCERT Director Policy Dr. Kanishka Karunasena, Head of Operation Rohana Palliyaguru and Committee Member Manori Unambuwa were present at the meeting.
