Sri Lanka pushes AI-powered ‘National Cybersecurity Framework’ amid rising digital fraud threats
Daily FT: Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said Sri Lanka is moving to establish a unified national cybersecurity architecture powered by artificial intelligence to combat rising digital financial fraud, cybercrime, and identity-based scams as the country accelerates its digital economy transformation.
Speaking at the ‘SL Scam Shield’ Executive Breakfast Forum held at Cinnamon Grand Colombo recently, the Deputy Minister stressed that cybersecurity must now be treated as a national security priority rather than merely a technical or institutional issue.
The forum, jointly organised by Google Cloud and NCINGA, focused on strengthening protections against digital financial fraud and cyber threats amid Sri Lanka’s ongoing digitalisation drive.
Delivering the keynote address, Weeraratne said the Government’s broader vision is to build a trusted digital ecosystem where citizens across the country can safely participate in the digital economy.
“The Government’s main vision is to create a secure environment and a Unified National Shield, where all citizens, from the farmer in Anuradhapura to the grandmother in Matara and the young entrepreneur in Jaffna, can use the digital economy with full confidence,” he said.
The discussion focused heavily on the increasing sophistication of cyber threats driven by artificial intelligence (AI), including voice cloning, fake digital identities, and advanced online financial scams.Weeraratne warned that traditional cybersecurity systems are no longer sufficient to address rapidly evolving AI-powered threats.
He said financial frauds operating at international scale using AI cannot be effectively countered through passive or outdated security approaches.
Instead, Sri Lanka requires an AI-powered “Autonomic Security” framework capable of detecting fraud and cyber threats in real time.
“The importance of a national cyber security system powered by AI technology that can detect fraud in real-time is now critical,” he noted.
The Deputy Minister also identified fragmentation within existing cybersecurity systems as a major national vulnerability.
Currently, banks, telecommunications providers, government institutions, and other sectors largely operate independent security frameworks with limited coordination.
According to Weeraratne, the Digital Economy Ministry is now prioritising the development of a “National Cybersecurity Framework” aimed at integrating these isolated systems into a unified national protection architecture.
“Cyber security is not just a technical office task, but an essential factor related to national security,” he stressed.
The Deputy Minister also commended the collaboration between Google Cloud and NCINGA in locally engineering the “Scam Shield” initiative, describing it as an important example of public-private technological cooperation.OSL take:
Sri Lanka is rapidly positioning itself as a rising hub in the global digital economy, creating fresh and expanding business/investment opportunities for foreign investors and technology-driven businesses. The government’s push toward a unified national cybersecurity architecture powered by artificial intelligence signals a strong commitment to building a secure, resilient, and innovation-friendly digital ecosystem. As Sri Lanka accelerates its digital transformation, demand is growing across key sectors such as cybersecurity, fintech, data infrastructure, cloud services, software development, and digital public services. The focus on combating cybercrime and financial fraud is also opening new avenues for investment in AI-driven security solutions, regulatory technology, and digital identity systems. With a young, tech-literate workforce, competitive operating costs, and increasing policy support for digital innovation, Sri Lanka is steadily becoming an attractive entry point for global firms looking to expand into South Asia’s fast-evolving digital markets. As the ecosystem matures, foreign businesses/investors have increasing opportunities to participate in shaping the country’s digital backbone while tapping into a high-growth regional technology landscape.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260603Z_4 |