News

Massive ransomware attack on state email domain

Published

8 months ago

September 10, 2023

editor

All Government offices using the “gov.lk” email domain, including the Cabinet Office, have lost data from May 17 to August 26, 2023, after a massive ransomware attack, the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) has confirmed.

The virus could have affected around 5,000 email addresses, ICTA CEO Mahesh Perera said, admitting that there was no offline backup for around two-and-a-half month’s worth of data. Since the online backup system had also been corrupted, users lost emails for that period. The Cabinet Office is among the entities in the Lanka Government Network (LGN). It uses the [email protected] email domain.

Following the attack, ICTA is taking measures to start daily offline backup and to upgrade the relevant application to the latest version which has stronger defences against virus attacks. And the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) is working closely with ICTA to try and retrieve the lost data, Mr. Perera said.

The LGN is the Government-owned private network that was introduced to connect Government organisations in what the ICTA maintains is “a cost-effective and secure manner”.

The service is being provided from 2007, Mr. Perera said. “Initially, we used Microsoft Exchange Version 2003,” he explained. “The email facility was given to Government offices. In 2014, it was upgraded to Microsoft Exchange Version 2013. This was in use till the attack. But that version is now obsolete, outdated and vulnerable to various types of attacks.”

One gov.lk domain user said that their official email had been receiving suspicious links over the past few weeks and that someone may have clicked one, triggering the ransomware attack. ICTA had planned from 2021 to upgrade the email facility to the latest version but had been constrained by fund limitations and certain previous board decisions, the CEO said.

With the ransomware attack on the morning of August 26, the site was completely encrypted. While ICTA maintains several backups in the LGN cloud, the encryption process that corrupted the server replicated to the online backup systems.

The system was restored within 12 hours of the attack and the backup was also brought back, but without two-and-a-half months of storage. “As a result of this time gap, certain old emails were lost but the service was restored,” Mr. Perera said.

ICTA continues to receive complaints from users seeking full access to the service. The reason for not maintaining regular backup was attributed to “administrative problems”.

Meanwhile, like many other offices, ICTA has been affected by the brain drain triggered by the economic crisis and is recruiting new staff.

(The Sunday Times)

News

President calls for unified environment, climate change law

Published

7 hours ago

May 8, 2024

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized on-going efforts to enact unified legislation addressing environmental protection and climate change. He highlighted the government’s commitment to crafting economic policies geared not only towards fostering export-oriented competitiveness but also towards transitioning to a green economy, aiming to achieve net-zero by 2050.

Acknowledging the recent prolonged spells of extreme climate conditions as indicative of future climate change impacts, the President stressed the urgency of addressing climate mitigation measures promptly.
He made these remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the Sri Lanka Climate Summit which commenced yesterday (07) at the Shangri-La, Colombo.

The inaugural Sri Lankan Climate Change Conference, hosted by the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce, commenced yesterday under the theme “Climate Action for our Nation and the Planet.” Scheduled to run until May 09, the summit aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted climate crisis, both from a global and national standpoint. It seeks to assess potential disruptions to critical sectors of the economy and deliberate on policy reforms necessary for transitioning towards a low-emission, climate-resilient economic framework.

During his address, President Wickremesinghe highlighted the nation’s proactive approach to combating climate change. He announced the establishment of a dedicated climate change centre in Sri Lanka and his instructions to the officials to model legislation based on the United Kingdom’s Climate Act, endorsed by global financial institutions. The President emphasized the significance of Sri Lanka’s role in addressing climate change, particularly within the Indian Ocean and the tropical belt and outlined plans for the International Climate Change University to be established in the country.

News

2100 Grama Niladhari officers given appointments

Published

7 hours ago

May 8, 2024

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed that the enhancement of the rural economy pivots on agricultural advancement. He highlighted the pivotal role of dedicated government officials at the grassroots level in ensuring the success of various government initiatives aimed at rural development, notably the agricultural modernization program.

The President made these remarks during his address at the ceremony held at the Temple Trees today (08), where 2100 new Grama Niladhari officers were awarded appointment letters.

Following the Grama Niladhari Service Examination held by the Department of Examinations on 02nd December, 2023, 2100 candidates with the highest scores at the Divisional Secretariat Divisional Level were granted Grama Niladhari positions.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe participated symbolically in distributing the appointment letters. He briefed the new GN Officers on government initiatives like “Aswesuma” and “Urumaya”, aimed at uplifting low-income individuals, urging them to actively engage in these programs for the economic development of their communities.

News

CoPF summons Public Security Secretary & Immigration CG

Published

7 hours ago

May 8, 2024

editor

The Committee of Public Finance (CoPF) has summoned the Secretary of the Public Security ministry and the Controller General of Immigration tomorrow (May 09) for a ‘balanced inquiry in to the ongoing visa fiasco’, the CoPF Chairman – Dr. Harsha de Silva has said.

“While it is customary for all public finance related legislation be routed through COPF, this strangely was not,” he has added on X.