Data Protection Authority to be established next year to protect country’s vital interests

Sri Lanka would establish a Data Protection Authority in 2023 to regulate the negative effects of digitization, State Minister of Technology, Kanaka Herath, told the media, in Colombo, on Monday.

The data protection authority will take swift action to protect the privacy of citizens from the adverse effects of digitization, he said.

State Minister Herath said steps have also been taken to improve cyber security in government agencies.

 Forty three institutions maintain 124 critical national information technology systems that affect the country’s national security, public welfare, economy, and health, he said.

“These systems must be protected from cyber-attacks. Along with the establishment of the Data Protection Authority, steps will be taken to improve cyber security of 10 government institutions, including the Immigration and Emigration Department, the Department of Registration of Persons, Sri Lanka Customs, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry,” he said