Sri Lanka CERT 101 & Legal Directory.
If you or someone in your family has encountered cyber harassment, account hijacking, or financial fraud, here are the verified national hotlines, emergency steps, and legal protections available in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka CERT|CC
National Computer Emergency Readiness Team
National coordinator for cyber incident response, vulnerability coordination, and financial threat reporting.
Sri Lanka Police Cyber Crime Division
Criminal Investigation Department (CID)
Law enforcement authority for criminal investigations, identity theft, financial fraud, and cyber extortion.
National Child Protection Authority (NCPA)
Child Online Protection Unit
24/7 emergency toll-free hotline for child online safety, cyber harassment of minors, and exploitation.
Immediate Steps If Your Account Is Compromised.
Follow these five steps immediately. Speed is essential to minimize unauthorized financial transfers and account abuse.
Disconnect & Contain
If suspicious malware or an APK app was installed, immediately turn off Wi-Fi and Mobile Data (or turn on Airplane Mode) to block unauthorized data exfiltration.
Alert Your Bank Immediately
If you gave away card digits or an OTP, call your bank's 24/7 card center immediately and request an instant card freeze before the attacker drains your account.
Recover Hijacked WhatsApp
Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp. Enter your phone number and request a new SMS code. Once logged in, immediately enable 2-Step Verification with a secret 6-digit PIN.
Preserve Digital Evidence
Do not delete message threads or call logs. Take full screenshots showing phone numbers, timestamps, transaction reference IDs, and bank account numbers.
Lodge a Report with CERT & Police
Call CERT Hotline 101 and lodge a complaint at the nearest police station or the Cyber Crime Division at CID Headquarters, Colombo 01.
Sri Lanka Cyber Crime & Privacy Laws:
Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007
Criminalizes unauthorized access to computer systems, malicious code dissemination, denial of service, and unauthorized modification of electronic data.
Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024
Addresses online harassment, distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, false statements calculated to cause harm, and organized cyber deception.
Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022
Governs how organizations collect, process, and safeguard citizens' personal data. Imposes strict obligations on banks, telcos, and cloud providers.