May 29, Colombo (LNW): The Department responsible for managing pensions in Sri Lanka has confirmed the full restoration of its digital infrastructure following a ransomware attack that briefly disrupted internal systems in April.
Chaminda Waththiarachchi, Director General of the Department of Pensions, reassured the public that all critical operations remained functional throughout the incident.
He emphasised that pension payments were processed without interruption and, importantly, no personal or financial data was lost, accessed, or tampered with during the breach.
The cyberattack, which experts have classified as a ransomware incident, temporarily disabled segments of the department’s IT framework. Charuka Damunupola, an engineer with the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT), confirmed that while the intrusion did hinder back-end systems, immediate containment measures were put in place to prevent the attack from spreading or escalating.
Technical teams worked around the clock to isolate the threat and restore access, coordinating closely with cybersecurity experts to secure the network and conduct a full system audit. The rapid response, according to authorities, played a crucial role in ensuring service continuity and safeguarding sensitive information belonging to thousands of pensioners.
In light of the incident, officials have indicated that steps are being taken to enhance the resilience of the Department’s digital infrastructure, including upgrades to firewalls, improved encryption protocols, and a revised contingency plan to handle future threats.
